Skenes Overpowers Cardinals Again as Pirates Take the Series
PITTSBURGH — Paul Skenes has become the Cardinals' worst nightmare. On Thursday, the LSU product turned in a start worthy of a 49.8 fantasy point outing, leading the Pirates to a 2-1 win over St. Louis and closing out a series win over St. Louis.
The final score won't wow anybody. But the story here isn't about offensive fireworks — it's about a Pirates pitching staff that has now made life miserable for the Cardinals across this stretch, and a lineup that continues to find just enough offense to back it up.
Skenes was, again, the headline. His final line translated to nearly 50 fantasy points, a number that dwarfed every other performer on the field Thursday and made him an easy choice as game MVP. Whatever St. Louis tried against him didn't work. The Cardinals managed only a single run of support for their own pitching staff, and against Skenes, that's typically a losing formula.
Behind him, the Pirates got the kind of complementary production that turns a good start into a series win. Oneil Cruz continued his strong stretch in center field, posting 24.5 fantasy points and reminding everyone why he's become one of the more dynamic pieces in Pittsburgh's lineup. Ronny Simon chipped in 19.0 points from the right field spot, giving the Pirates offense enough juice to make Skenes' outing stand up. Mason Montgomery came out of the bullpen and was sharp in relief, adding 14.5 fantasy points to help lock down the win. Brandon Lowe rounded out the productive night with 10.5 points at second base, while Konnor Griffin and Nick Gonzales chipped in useful at-bats up and down the order.
For St. Louis, this series didn't go their way either. The Cardinals dropped two of the three games in this set to Pittsburgh, with Thursday's finale sealing it. Alec Burleson was the one bright spot at the plate, posting a team-best 25.5 fantasy points and continuing to look like the most consistent bat in that lineup right now. But run support was almost nonexistent everywhere else. Cooper Hjerpe gave the Cardinals a respectable start, worth 17.8 fantasy points on the mound, and Kyle Leahy chipped in 12.0 points in relief, but neither had enough to overcome the deficit created by Skenes on the other side.
JJ Wetherholt continued to show flashes at second base with 11.5 fantasy points, and Brycen Mautz added a modest 6.5 points in his outing. But the larger issue for St. Louis remains obvious: when the pitching keeps opponents in single digits and the offense still can't push runs across, games like this are the result. One run against a starter of Skenes' caliber simply wasn't going to be enough, and it wasn't.
This is still early in the season, but the trend is worth watching. Pittsburgh has now won four of its last five games, and two of those wins have come directly at St. Louis' expense. Skenes looks like exactly the kind of front-line arm who can anchor a rotation over a full season, and if Cruz and Simon keep producing the way they did Thursday, the Pirates could be a tougher out than many expected entering the year.
For the Cardinals, the challenge is clearer than ever. Burleson is doing his part. The rotation is getting occasional length from arms like Hjerpe and Leahy. But until the lineup finds more consistent thump behind Burleson, series like this one will keep slipping away, especially against a pitcher performing at Skenes' level.
It's one series in a long season, but Pittsburgh has sent an early message. St. Louis will need to regroup fast, because if this early form holds, the Pirates are going to be a problem in the NL Central all year.
Fans building their JockBroker lineups this week won't want to overlook Skenes — a near-50-point outing like Thursday's is exactly the kind of ceiling that can carry a roster.
