One Bad Inning: Skenes Stumbles, Offense Stalls as Pirates Fall to Brewers

• Paul Skenes surrendered four runs in a disastrous 37-pitch second inning.
• Brewers rookie Jacob Misiorowski dominated with five shutout innings and eight strikeouts.
• The Pirates' offense was stifled, leading to a 4-2 series-finale loss.
• Skenes' record dropped to 4-7 after the loss.
• The loss occurred in the series finale against the Milwaukee Brewers at PNC Park.

It was a night that started with the promise of a Paul Skenes masterclass and ended in a frustrating 4-2 series-finale loss to the Milwaukee Brewers. The Pirates' ace was uncharacteristically mortal, surrendering all four runs in a disastrous second inning, and the offense couldn't muster a comeback against a dominant rookie pitcher, leaving PNC Park with a sour taste.

Paul Skenes, the reigning NL Rookie of the Year, allowed all four Brewers runs in a 37-pitch second inning.

The Inning That Unraveled Everything

All eyes were on Paul Skenes, but the narrative flipped in a hurry. The second inning was a nightmare frame for the young ace, who threw 37 pitches and faced nine Brewers batters. The damage came fast and furious: a Joey Ortiz groundout, an Eric Haase bloop double, a Sal Frelick fielder’s choice, and a Christian Yelich RBI single. Just like that, the Brewers had a 4-0 lead they would never relinquish. Skenes settled down afterward but was pulled after 78 pitches, taking the loss to drop his record to 4-7. It was a rare, jarring misstep for a pitcher who has been a beacon of hope for the franchise.

Muzzled by Misiorowski

While Skenes struggled, the Pirates' bats were completely silenced by Brewers rookie Jacob Misiorowski. The hard-throwing righty was electric, carving through the lineup for five shutout innings while allowing just two hits and striking out eight. Bryan Reynolds broke up the no-hit bid in the fourth, but the Pirates couldn't build any momentum. They finally broke through late, with a Tommy Pham single scoring a run in the seventh and a Spencer Horwitz double adding another in the eighth, but it was far too little, too late. The inability to solve a rookie pitcher put the game out of reach before it ever truly began.

Cruz's Quiet Return to the Lineup

After being benched on Tuesday for a lack of hustle, Oneil Cruz was back in the starting lineup. His return was relatively quiet, though he did contribute to one of the team's runs. In the seventh inning, Cruz reached base on a two-base error by the Brewers' infield and later came around to score on Tommy Pham's single. While not a thunderous return, his presence on the basepaths led directly to a run. Fans will be watching closely to see if the brief benching serves as a long-term motivator for the talented but sometimes inconsistent shortstop.

One tough loss doesn't define a season, but it highlights the razor-thin margin for error this team has. With a division rival leaving town with a series win, the Pirates must quickly regroup. The key moving forward will be finding offensive consistency to support a pitching staff that, even on an off night for its ace, has been the team's strength. It's time to flush this one and come out swinging in the next series.