Pirates look to Paul Skenes to even series against Rockies

Paul Skenes has dominated the Colorado Rockies in his home park, but his one start in Denver didn't go as well.

The Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander has made one start at Coors Field when he allowed four runs in five innings on Aug. 2, 2025 in a game Colorado won, 8-5.

Skenes (6-6, 2.85 ERA) gets another shot in Denver when he takes the mound Saturday night in the second contest of a three-game series against the Rockies.

Colorado counters with its best starter this season, Tomoyuki Sugano (7-4, 4.79).

The Rockies took the opener on Friday night, 4-3, holding on after Pittsburgh loaded the bases with no outs in the ninth inning.

Skenes is facing Colorado for the fourth time in his short career and is 2-0 with a 1.80 ERA in those outings. He took a no-hitter into the seventh inning his last start against the Rockies, a 3-1 Pirates win in Pittsburgh on May 12.

Mickey Moniak broke up the no-hit bid with a one-out hit that night and Skenes left after eight shutout innings. It marked the last time he pitched beyond the sixth inning this season - or earned a win. The two-time All-Star lost his next three starts, and he has been victimized by little run support and a faltering bullpen in his three June outings.

He has allowed five earned runs this month but is 0-1 with a 2.70 ERA. In his last start, against Miami on Sunday, he matched a season high with 10 strikeouts over six innings but was tagged with the loss after giving up two solo homers.

His teammates managed to put across just two runs in a 4-2 loss.

"It's baseball," Skenes said after the game. "I've dealt with it before. It's a team sport. It's just the nature of the game."

Sugano, meanwhile, has received plenty of run support in June. He has won all three of his starts this month despite posting a 6.60 ERA and allowing eight runs - six earned - Sunday against the Athletics in Las Vegas.

He benefited from Colorado's franchise-record 23 runs in the victory but he will likely have to pitch better with Skenes going for the Pirates. It will also be his first time facing Pittsburgh in his two-year major league career.

It will also be the first time a few Rockies' players will see the Pirates. Recent call-ups Cole Carrigg and Sterlin Thompson are part of Colorado's youth movement and each has made an impact in a small sample size.

Thompson hit his first two big-league homers in one game against the Chicago Cubs this week and Carrigg had three home runs in his first 36 at-bats and has flashed some impressive defense. He made a running catch into the ivy at Wrigley Field in Tuesday night's 5-2 win, saving a run.

"It felt like brick - it was definitely pretty hard, not much cushion with the ivy," Carrigg said after the game. "That's a good highlight, for sure. Making a catch in the ivy is pretty cool."

-Field Level Media