The St. Louis Cardinals seem to have figured something out when it comes to Paul Skenes. The Pittsburgh Pirates’ rising ace has already dropped four games to the Cardinals early in his MLB career—more than half of his total seven career losses. While it’s a stretch to say St. Louis “owns” him—Skenes still holds an ERA under 3.00 in five outings against them—it’s clear they’ve had more success than most.
Alec Burleson offered some insight into their approach.
“There’s no magic formula—it takes a little bit of luck,” Burleson said after the game. “With someone like him, you need a clear game plan and stick to it over several at-bats. That doesn’t guarantee results every time, but it gives you the best shot. That’s what I did, and it paid off today.”
In short, the Cardinals’ strategy is to be disciplined and committed to their approach, even if the immediate payoff isn’t guaranteed. Their patience seems to give them an edge against Skenes’ overpowering stuff.
St. Louis Cardinals plan against Paul Skenes is working
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That’s often the blueprint for beating elite pitchers—stick to a plan, stay patient, and hope to capitalize on any opening. The Cardinals likely won’t square up Paul Skenes if he’s at his absolute best, but they can work counts, make him labor, and force him into uncomfortable situations early. And, as Alec Burleson said, a little luck never hurts.
“He’s really good—Skenes is the real deal,” said Cardinals manager Oli Marmol. “He threw a great game tonight. We were just able to get to him late.”
Another major factor in outdueling a pitcher of Skenes’ caliber is having someone on the mound who can match him—and the Cardinals got that in Matthew Liberatore. The young lefty continued making his case for a long-term rotation spot by limiting Pittsburgh to just one run on three hits across seven strong innings.
Of course, Burleson’s hot bat played a big role too. After homering in each of the Cardinals’ previous two games, he came through again with the go-ahead double off Skenes.
There’s no doubt Skenes is on track for a long and successful MLB career, but right now, he’s got one nagging issue to address—the Cardinals have his number.
