Paul Skenes Earns Fifth Victory Over Reds as Pirates Secure 8-3 Road Win

Paul Skenes improved to 5-0 against Cincinnati, allowing one run and striking out five in the Pirates' 8-3 victory on Wednesday.

The Pittsburgh Pirates secured an 8-3 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday behind a dominant performance from right-hander Paul Skenes. In five innings of work, the reigning NL Cy Young winner allowed just one run on two hits, striking out five batters and issuing two walks. This Paul Skenes win was supported by an early offensive explosion, highlighted by Oneil Cruz’s three-run home run to right field in the first inning. Skenes threw 77 total pitches, 51 of which were strikes, to rebound from a previous outing where he lasted only two-thirds of an inning.

Cincinnati’s offense struggled to find a rhythm early as Skenes retired eight consecutive batters following a lead-off walk to TJ Friedl. The Reds did not record their first hit until Elly De La Cruz singled in the third inning. Moments later, Nathaniel Lowe drove a double that scored De La Cruz, marking the only run charged to the Pittsburgh starter. This RBI double ended a 31-inning scoreless streak Skenes held against the Cincinnati franchise, which stands as the fourth-longest run by a Pirates pitcher against a single opponent since 1961. Only Vernon Law has a longer such streak in team history, having pitched 40 scoreless innings against the Mets from 1965 to 1966.

Statistical Dominance Against Cincinnati

With this performance, Skenes moved to a 5-0 career record against the Reds across six starts. In those matchups, he maintains a 0.53 ERA and has limited Cincinnati hitters to a .197 batting average. His command in these divisional games is evidenced by 45 strikeouts compared to just four walks. Historically, Skenes is producing at an elite level, posting a 2.10 ERA through his first 57 career starts. This is the fourth-best earned run average for any pitcher since 1920 and the lowest for a Pittsburgh hurler in a 57-start span since Babe Adams recorded a 2.06 ERA between 1918 and 1920.

Manager Don Kelly and the Pirates coaching staff utilized a strict pitch count for the right-hander during Wednesday's contest. After Skenes threw 37 pitches in a short start against the Mets on Thursday—where he surrendered five runs and two walks in an 11-7 loss—the team targeted an 80-pitch limit for his return to the mound. Kelly noted that the five-inning workload was a deliberate step toward ensuring the pitcher's health for the long haul. The skipper indicated that Skenes will eventually exceed the 77-pitch and five-inning thresholds as the season progresses.

Tactical Execution and Managerial Reactions

Skenes attributed his bounce-back performance to a focus on pitch execution rather than external noise. He noted that his primary objective was returning to form after the shortest start of his major league career. The right-hander retired four of the final five batters he faced before being relieved. Reds manager Terry Francona acknowledged the difficulty of facing the Pittsburgh ace, stating that giving up early runs makes it a significant fight to generate any offense against him.

On the mound, Skenes demonstrated improved efficiency compared to his Opening Day struggles. While he walked TJ Friedl twice in the first three innings, he maintained control of the strike zone for the remainder of his outing. The Pirates' offense provided the necessary cushion to allow the bullpen to take over after the fifth. The victory serves as a pivotal recovery for the Pittsburgh rotation, stabilizing the staff after the high-scoring loss to the Mets earlier in the week. By limiting the Reds to a single run through the first five frames, Skenes lowered his season ERA and reinforced his status as one of the most effective starters in the National League.