Pirates Pull Paul Skenes After 5 Innings in Loss to Marlins

Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes was pulled after just five innings and 65 pitches in a 2-0 loss to the Miami Marlins on Tuesday, August 11, 2026, marking another uncharacteristic outing for the reigning National League Cy Young Award winner. The decision by manager Don Kelly came as Skenes continued to show diminished velocity and struggled to command his pitches effectively at LoanDepot Park.

Skenes allowed two runs, one earned, on five hits with four strikeouts and one walk. He was hit hard throughout the night, with eight of the 21 batters he faced recording hard-hit balls. His four-seam fastball averaged 95.7 mph and topped out at 96.5 mph, a notable dip from his 2026 season average of 96.9 mph and well below the 98.8 mph average from his 2024 rookie year. It was the first start of his MLB career in which he failed to reach 97 mph on any pitch.

"If I were the manager, I'd probably do it too," Skenes told reporters. "He walked me through everything and it all made sense. Wish I could have gone more, but it kind of is what it is."

Kelly confirmed the move was not injury-related. "It wasn't injury-related that he came out. Just thought it gave us the best chance to win...