After a nine‑start winless slump, Paul Skenes has claimed victory in each of his last three appearances on the mound.
The reigning National League Cy Young Award winner seeks to extend his hot streak on Saturday as the Pittsburgh Pirates aim to even the series against the visiting Chicago Cubs.
Dansby Swanson delivered an RBI single in the 10th inning, and Seiya Suzuki drew a four‑pitch walk with the bases loaded two batters later, sparking a 3‑2 victory for the Cubs over the Pirates on Friday. Chicago has won four of its last six games, while Pittsburgh has lost four of its last six.
Skenes (9‑ Vorbereitung, 3.43 ERA) secured his third straight win on Sunday after allowing one run and striking out eight across seven innings in a 7‑1 triumph over the Cleveland Guardians. That outing marked the right‑hander’s longest effort sinceದುಕೊಂಡ eight scoreless innings in a 3‑1 victory over the Colorado Rockies on May 12.
“I earned a few early outs, which helps,” Skenes remarked after his Cleveland outing. “There weren’t many long at‑bats. Essentially, if you take early outs and keep the at‑bats short—avoiding nine or ten‑pitch counts—that’s a winning formula, especially for staying deep into games.”
During his streak, Skenes has allowed only five runs while striking out 19 batters over 18 1/3 innings.
The streak followed a shocking nine‑start winless stretch in which the Pirates were swept in every outing.
On May 28, Skenes, 24, surrendered three runs (onep earned) on four hits over 5 1/3 innings in a 7‑2 loss at home to Chicago. That performance brought his record against the Cubs to 2‑3 with a 2.77 ERA across eight starts.
He should exercise caution against Pete Crow‑Armstrong, who hit the series opener’s team‑leading 22nd home run.
On Saturday, the left‑hander to face him is Chicago’s Shota Imanaga (6‑8, 3.91 ERA).
Imanaga tossed seven scoreless innings and gave up six hits in a 10‑1 triumph over the visiting Minnesota Twins last Sunday. He has deepened the ball five times in his last four outings, and 22 times over his first 19 starts this season.
“Shota tends to power the ball,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell noted. “That’s inherent to his arsenal. When the balls do arrive, it’s his responsibility to absorb them. Currently he’s keeping home runs down, and he’s also excellent at limiting walks. He’s performing very well.”
Imanaga’s no‑hit bid against Pittsburgh fell short on April 10 when he was removed after six innings, delivering 68 of 100 pitches as strikes.
The 32‑year‑old boasts a 2‑0 record with a 0.28 ERA across 32 innings in five starts against the Pirates.
Bryan Reynolds went hitless in the series opener, registering 0‑for‑5 with two strikeouts. He’s 1‑for‑22 over five games, with 12 strikeouts, and has reached base in his last seven matchups with Chicago this season.
