The Pittsburgh Pirates started Wednesday's game against the Chicago Cubs strong. Pittsburgh led 10-3 after Paul Skenes exited the game after five innings of work. And then everything fell apart. The Cubs roared back and ended up winning the game 14-10, blowing both Skenes' chances of a win and the team's potential victory. Skenes' girlfriend Olivia Dunne, who is a gymnast at LSU and popular influencer, shared a reaction on X, formerly Twitter after the Pirates surrendered the lead.

Pirates fans surely felt the same way. Pittsburgh led 10-3 heading into the 7th inning before the Cubs scored two runs. Chicago then added three runs in the 8th and six runs in the 9th en route to the win.

Pittsburgh fell to 62-71 on the season. Nevertheless, Skenes still pitched well. He allowed only two earned runs while striking out six and walking just one batter. The Pirates' bullpen was unable to keep the lead, however.

Paul Skenes pitching well despite Pirates' difficult season

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The Pirates are playing better in 2024 than they have in recent years. Still, they are a year or two away from contending. Pittsburgh held a record of above .500 in late July which led to some to believe the Pirates would buy at the trade deadline. The wheels have fallen off in August, however.

Skenes, though, is in the middle of a tremendous rookie season. It seems as if Skenes is consistently accomplishing new feats and giving his team opportunities to win games.

The 22-year-old entered Wednesday's game with a 2.16 ERA across 17 starts. He also has an 8-2 record, something that will remain the same after his no-decision on Wednesday. Wins and losses do not hold as much value for pitchers as they once did in the MLB world, but Skenes' 8-2 record is still telling of his impact on the Pirates.

All Skenes can do is continue to perform at a high level on the mound. His team will attempt to jump back into the win column on Friday against the Cleveland Guardians.