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The early assault against Paul Skenes in the first inning of the Cardinals’ recent win over the Pirates represented a tactical blueprint that visiting lineups may now replicate. According to Deadspin’s account, St. Louis scored three runs in the opening frame, forcing the rookie right-hander to throw 31 pitches before recording a fourth out. That early burst not only handed the Cardinals a lead but also pushed Skenes into predictable patterns against a veteran-hitting order.
The vulnerability was not velocity but command. Skenes, who entered with a 2.06 ERA, missed his spots against the top of St. Louis’s lineup, allowing multiple hard-hit balls. The three-run first innings underscores a lingering question for Pittsburgh: whether its prized arm can adjust to the discipline of major league hitters when they refuse to chase. The outcome of that adjustment will shape the Pirates’ second-half rotation strategy.
The vulnerability was not velocity but command. Skenes, who entered with a 2.06 ERA, missed his spots against the top of St. Louis’s lineup, allowing multiple hard-hit balls. The three-run first innings underscores a lingering question for Pittsburgh: whether its prized arm can adjust to the discipline of major league hitters when they refuse to chase. The outcome of that adjustment will shape the Pirates’ second-half rotation strategy.