Guardians likely to be in for tough day vs 2024 NL Rookie of the Year in Pittsburgh

The Cleveland Guardians managed to come away with a win on Friday night, holding on for a 10-7 victory over the Pirates in Pittsburgh. Even though it was the first of three games between the two ballclubs, it was a must-win for Cleveland if they wanted a chance at winning the series. It may seem premature to think this way, but when looking at who is slated to start Game 2 in Pittsburgh, it becomes pretty obvious why that was the case.

2024 National League Rookie of the Year Paul Skenes draws the start for the Pirates on Saturday, a game that most figure Pittsburgh to win. Skenes is an elite pitcher who has proven capable of shutting down even the most star-studded lineups, a description that does not currently apply to the current version of the Cleveland Guardians.

Excluding what was clearly an outlier start against the St. Louis Cardinals (five runs allowed on six hits and one walk), Skenes has continued being a dominant force on the mound, with just five total runs allowed on nine hits and two walks in 18.1 innings of work. While his five-run outing against St. Louis does count as it did actually happen, it is the other three starts that are a better representation of Skenes' pitching abilities and that is who the Guardians should expect to see on Saturday.

This will be the first the Guardians have faced Skenes, and it is coming at one of the worst possible times for them. Forget their 7-3 record over their last 10 games, Cleveland has failed to score more than two runs in three of their last five games, and none of them were against a pitcher anywhere close to Skenes' talent level. An offense having trouble scoring runs consistently going up against a pitcher who can shut them down with relative ease is a combination that could result in very few, if any, runs coming across to score while Skenes remains on the mound.

Sure, there is the possibility that Guardians experience some success due to the relative unfamiliarity between the two sides, and hopefully, that turns out to be the case here, but that is not necessarily a bet anyone should feel comfortable making. Skenes has the reputation he has for a reason, and the Guardians' offense has not been consistent enough this season to think that this has a good chance of coming to fruition. Hope for the best, but it may be better to look ahead to Sunday as Cleveland's best shot at taking two of three from Pittsburgh.