Wasting Paul Skenes' latest gem highlights Pirates desperate need for offense

Pittsburgh Pirates rookie starting pitcher Paul Skenes wrapped up his latest gem on Sunday afternoon by blowing a 102 mph fastball by Tampa Bay Rays catcher Alex Jackson on his 98th pitch of the day. 

It was his eighth strikeout and finished a seven-inning start where he allowed just one run, lowering his season ERA to a stunning 2.18 in eight starts.

He was dominant. He was as electric as he has been in all of his starts so far. He pitched well enough to win. 

The only problem for Skenes and the Pirates is they absolutely wasted his dominance in a 3-1 loss. 

Relief pitcher Colin Holderman allowed two runs in the top of the eighth to allow the Rays to take the game — and the series — but it was the Pirates staggering lack of offense that again did them in. 

It continues to be a huge problem, and with each passing game it becomes clearer that they need to do something to address it.

Their starting lineup on Sunday featured just two starters — outfielder Bryan Reynolds and shortstop Oneil Cruz — that had an OPS+ higher than 90 on the season. 

A 100 OPS+ is considered a league average hitter. They had five players (Jack Suwinski, Jared Triolo, Michael A. Taylor, Rowdy Tellez and Yasmani Grandal) under 75 and another, Ke'Bryan Hayes, that was at 78.

It was one of the worst lineups a current Major League team could have put on the field. 

Part of that is the fault of ownership and the front office for doing a poor job constructing the roster offensively and not giving them enough depth.

But another part of it has to fall on manager for Derek Shelton for not playing his best lineup in a rubber match game as the Pirates try to keep pace in the jumbled NL wild-card race. 

He could have started Andrew McCutchen and Nick Gonzales and given them two more above average hitters. It is the second time in a week that Shelton went into a rubber match game and did not put his best lineup on the field, having previously done so last Thursday in St. Louis — another winnable game the Pirates lost.

On Sunday, they scored just one run and generated three hits (two of them coming from Reynolds) and none after the fourth inning.

It was a winnable game that was there for the taking with their young ace on the mound and dominating. They wasted it.

It was also the sixth time this season the Pirates have had a starting pitcher go six innings, allow one run or less, and the team still not win. Skenes has been on the mound now for two of those games. 

Pirates owner Bob Nutting said all of the right things this week about recognizing their current window and needing to add talent. Each game like Sunday only further highlights that need.