Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes regains execution and competitiveness, bouncing back in his start to show the joy of the game.

For Paul Skenes, bouncing back from his shortest career start was all about one thing: execution. In the eyes of the manager, the key was the drive and competitiveness of this right-handed ace.

Today, all three were present. Skenes delivered a strong five-inning performance against the Reds, securing his first win of the 2026 season and helping the team win 8-3 on the road. In his previous start, he only faced two batters, allowing four hits and five runs, with two walks and one hit-by-pitch. In this game, he allowed only three hits and one run, with five strikeouts and two walks, throwing 77 pitches with 51 strikes. His season ERA dropped from an inflated 67.50 to 9.53.

“Still adjusting, but it feels good to pitch a decent number of innings instead of just 0.2,” Skenes said with a slight chuckle.

Pirates manager Don Kelly stated: “Paul pitching five innings was mainly about pitch count. Last game he only threw 37 pitches; our target this game was around 80. We need Paul to stay healthy long-term, and he did a great job completing five innings. As the season progresses, he’ll go beyond five innings and 77 pitches.”

After walking TJ Friedl to start the game, Skenes quickly found his rhythm. He said he never really worried. “First, gotta get that first batter out. Feeling good, felt good warming up in the bullpen, felt good all game. No major issues.”

“He’s a true competitor. With his level of commitment, he has that unique ability. Even after walking the first batter, he can refocus and get back into the zone. That’s impressive,” Kelly said.

The significance of this win is that any speculation about Skenes’ form being affected by participating in the World Baseball Classic has vanished.

“Just remembering what’s real and what’s not. Nothing matters except the game itself,” Skenes said. “I don’t really feel those external things. Occasionally seeing or hearing something, I don’t pay attention because it’s not related to the game. All week, I focused on regaining execution, executing my pitches. That’s all.”

Rather than discussing his five innings, Skenes was more eager to share the amusing story of giving teammate Jake Mangum a birthday cake. Mangum had complained about not wanting to celebrate his March 8 birthday, so Skenes ordered a cake for him in Pirates City. Mangum was near Skenes’ post-game interview, threatening revenge. The problem: he didn’t even know Skenes’ birthday is May 29. Mangum guessed May 26, then said “late May.” Skenes was unmoved: “Pretty embarrassing, wrong twice.”

Skenes was in good form today. In the first inning, Oneil Cruz hit a three-run homer off Reds starter Andrew Abbott, allowing Skenes to leave the inning with a 4-1 lead.

“He homered again like yesterday, making pitching way too easy. It was fun to watch,” Skenes said.

Abbott settled down until the sixth inning, when the Pirates added another run via a bases-loaded walk. The pitcher was Connor Phillips, but the run was charged to Abbott.

Skenes didn’t allow a hit until the fourth inning, when Elly De La Cruz singled on a 90.1 mph changeup to right field. A grounder by Sal Stewart moved De La Cruz to second, and Nathaniel Lowe’s double brought him home, ending Skenes’ streak of 31 consecutive scoreless innings against the Reds, dating back to his first career start against them on June 17, 2024.

In his career, Skenes has started six times against the Reds, achieving a 5-0 record, allowing only two runs over 34 innings with an ERA of 0.53.

“When Skenes is on the mound, you don’t want him to get an early lead, because you know every run after that will be hard to earn,” Reds manager Terry Francona said.

Mason Montgomery replaced Skenes in the sixth inning and allowed a two-run homer to pinch-hitter Eugenio Suárez, narrowing the Pirates’ lead to one run. But Isaac Mattson, Justin Lawrence, and Gregory Soto combined to hold the final 3.1 innings, helping the Pirates secure their first series win of the season.