The Dodgers haven’t lost two games in a row in four weeks, but that run of success will be put to a tough test in Tuesday night’s series opener against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park.
In a week in which they scored nine runs in one inning — their biggest frame since 2021 — the Dodgers also scored two or fewer runs in three of seven games last week and were held scoreless in 52 of their 62 innings at the plate.
Now they try to get the bats back on track against Pirates ace Paul Skenes.
Tuesday marks the fifth time in five series since Skenes debuted in 2024 that the right-hander will face the Dodgers. In his rookie season, the Dodgers and Pirates split those two games, and Skenes looked relatively human, with seven runs allowed in 11 innings, including three home runs.
Last year, Skenes simply fixed the glitch, and did not allow any runs to the Dodgers in 12 1/3 innings over two starts, both Pirates wins, en route to winning the National League Cy Young Award, after finishing third as a rookie. In total, Skenes has 33 strikeouts against only three walks against the Dodgers, with at least eight strikeouts in all four starts to date.
Skenes this year has allowed 15 runs (11 earned) in 20 innings over his last four starts, all Pirates losses. It’s just the second time Skenes has failed to pitch six innings in four consecutive starts, but last year’s four-game stint included a pair of scoreless starts.
The recent skid ballooned Skenes’ ERA to 3.09, which stands out because during his first two major league seasons saw him post a 1.96 and 1.97 ERA. That ERA this year still ranks 11th in the National League, while his 2.29 xERA is second. Skenes’ strikeout rate (29.5 percent) ranks fourth, while his strikeout-minus-walk rate (24.8 percent) is third.
Skenes is third in FanGraphs WAR (2.2) in the National League, tied with Shohei Ohtani, who will start on the mound on Wednesday and be the first batter Skenes faces on Tuesday. Ohtani homered off Skenes in their first meeting, on June 5, 2024, but overall has just two hits in 11 at-bats against him, with six strikeouts and a walk.
Andy Pages has four hits in six at-bats against Skenes, including a home run and two doubles, but only two other Dodgers have multiple hits off the Pirates ace — Kyle Tucker has a home run and double in five career at-bats, while Freddie Freeman has two hits in 12 at-bats, including a double.
Tuesday game info
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Teams: Dodgers at Pirates
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Ballpark: PNC Park, Pittsburgh
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Radio: AM 570 (English), KTNQ 1020 AM (Spanish)
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