Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes gave fans an unusual glimpse of his personality Thursday, posting a playful four-word message on social media as the team prepared to open a divisional series against the St. Louis Cardinals.
The post came during Pittsburgh’s off day, just two days after Skenes delivered one of his strongest outings in weeks. The right-hander helped the Pirates defeat the San Diego Padres 1-0 on Tuesday by throwing six scoreless innings, allowing only three hits and striking out four without issuing a walk.
Skenes’ short message read, “It’s-a-me, Mario,” a playful reference to the iconic Nintendo character. The post immediately drew attention because Skenes is not particularly active on social media. It was his first post in more than six weeks, with his previous activity coming around All-Star Weekend in Philadelphia.
His girlfriend, Livvy Dunne, also joined the fun in the comments, responding with a playful message of her own. The exchange quickly attracted tens of thousands of likes and hundreds of comments, turning what was otherwise a simple post into a talking point among Pirates fans.
Skenes Coming Off a Much-Needed Bounce-Back
The timing of Skenes’ post is particularly interesting because it followed an important bounce-back performance on the mound.
Against San Diego, Skenes looked much closer to the dominant pitcher Pirates fans have become accustomed to seeing. He kept the Padres off the scoreboard for six innings and consistently challenged hitters while avoiding the walks that can put pressure on a pitcher.
The outing also represented a significant improvement after a more difficult stretch. Skenes had not completed a six-inning scoreless outing since May 12 against the Colorado Rockies, making his performance against San Diego an encouraging development as the season enters its final stretch.
Although Skenes did not receive the decision, Pittsburgh eventually won thanks to Oneil Cruz’s dramatic ninth-inning home run. The victory gave the Pirates a series win over the Padres and provided some much-needed momentum.
Skenes Still Searching for His Previous Dominance
Skenes remains one of baseball’s premier young pitchers and an All-Star, but his overall numbers this season have not matched the extraordinary standards he established during his first two MLB seasons.
He entered the Cardinals series with a 9-11 record and a 3.79 ERA. Those numbers would represent a strong season for most starting pitchers, but Skenes previously posted a 1.96 ERA as a rookie and followed that with a 1.97 mark in his second season.
That statistical drop has made consistency a major storyline surrounding the Pirates star. Still, his latest outing suggests he may be beginning to rediscover the form that made him one of the most feared pitchers in the game.
Skenes is not expected to start during the upcoming weekend series against St. Louis, meaning his next turn in the rotation could come early next week when Pittsburgh faces the San Francisco Giants.
Pirates Fighting to Stay in the Race
The Pirates enter the Cardinals series with plenty of work still to do if they hope to remain relevant in the National League playoff picture.
Pittsburgh improved to 65-70 following its victory over San Diego. The Pirates remain 18 games behind in the NL Central and 7.5 games out of a Wild Card position, leaving them with a narrow path toward a postseason push.
While the odds are increasingly difficult, Pittsburgh has not been mathematically eliminated. A strong finish would require the Pirates to string together wins while receiving help from teams ahead of them in the standings.
The Cardinals now provide another opportunity. St. Louis enters the series after ending a five-game losing streak with a 7-5 victory over Baltimore on Thursday. The Cardinals remain within striking distance of the NL Wild Card race and will host Pittsburgh in an important divisional matchup.
For Skenes, however, the focus will likely remain on building from his latest start. His four-word Mario-themed post may have provided a lighter moment, but his performance against San Diego delivered the more important message: the Pirates’ ace may be finding his form at a critical point in the season.
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