Paul Skenes Wins First Career Game Against Padres

Skenes Wins in First Career Game Against Padres

Photo by Joe Robbins/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

April 7, 2026

Pirates 7, Padres 1

The San Diego Padres traveled to PNC Park to play the Pittsburgh Pirates in a three-game series this week. They managed to take the opener, but for game two, the Padres were set to face 2025 Cy Young Winner Paul Skenes for the first time. It also just so happened to be his first game at home this season.

This matchup was more than a long time coming. Skenes infamously battled lefty slugger Jackson Merrill in 2024 for NL Rookie of the Year, a fight he won in the end. Ever since Skenes made a splash in his freshman and sophomore years, the Friars have narrowly missed him every time they played the Buckos. However, this year is different.

From the get-go, this matchup was a destined pitching duel, a pair of aces, veteran right-hander Nick Pivetta versus Skenes. For the first four innings, it certainly was. Pivetta and Skenes blasted through each team’s lineups, allowing minimal hits. Combined, both teams reached base safely a total of four times.

Pivetta was eventually switched out in the sixth inning after allowing two runs to score in the fifth. Skenes went 6 1/3 innings against the Padres before allowing a solo homer from Xander Bogaerts, which chased him out.

A disastrous eighth inning for the Padres eventually led to their defeat by the Pirates, splitting the series in half.

What Went Right For The Padres

Nick Pivetta

Pivetta went five innings, allowing four hits, two runs and one walk. Padres pitching struck out a combined ten, eight of which belong to Pivetta. By all accounts, this was a very dominant outing; he even struck out more than Skenes. Despite his small misstep at the tail end, the game was very much in reach as he departed. The Padres very well had a chance to fight back, but the growing hill they had to climb eventually became too much for them to surmount. What’s good to know is that Pivetta seems to be returning to form as he settles back into the mound.

What Went Wrong For The Padres

Padres Defense

The Padres’ defense hasn’t been as sharp as they’re used to. An error charged to catcher Freddy Fermin bookended a two-run rally started by Spencer Horwitz of the Pirates. In addition, Bogaerts bobbled a ball at the bottom of the eighth, loading the bases, which allowed more runs to score, making the game 4–1.

That, combined with bad positioning, ultimately allowed the Pirates to single the Padres to death in the eighth, making the final score 7–1.

Throughout this away stint for the Padres, the outfield has severely struggled with balls coming their way. While it hasn’t completely bitten them, it’s certainly a trend not worth continuing.

Padres Bullpen

The Padres are widely regarded as having the best bullpen in baseball. However, lately they’ve been having trouble finding their stride. Notably, the Padres are missing a few key relievers from their bullpen, Jason Adam and Yuki Matsui.

However, even their most experienced and reliable pitchers have faltered. The wheels came off for lefty reliever Adrian Morejon in the eighth inning. During his outing, he allowed five total runs to score. The Padres have a single win so far when trailing; in the previous instance, they had far more time to bring things back. Morejon’s outing was more or less a nail in the coffin.

What Went Right For The Pirates

Paul Skenes

Skenes is a force to be reckoned with. His reputation precedes him for very good reasons. He has a career ERA of 2.10 and a WHIP of 0.965.

Skenes nearly perfectly dotted the strike zone, striking out a total of six Padres during his outing. Even his most hittable pitches, the Padres couldn’t catch enough of the ball, baiting weak contact on nearly everything. Until Fernando Tatis Jr. hit a one-out single in the sixth inning, the Padres were being no-hit.

That said, it’s worth noting on this outing in particular, he couldn’t control his number two pitch, “the splinker,” very much relying mostly on the heater and his other breaking balls. Skenes highly malleable and adaptive style of play was on full display today, and he used it to carry his team to victory.

Pirates Offsense

The Bucs took advantage of Adrian Morejon’s lack of control in the eighth, putting together a nice string of hits to right and left field, completely dismantling the Padres’ defense.

In particular, former Padre Ryan O’Hearn put together a small collection of fantastic at-bats. O Hearn went 2/3 on the night, reaching base successfully in three of his four plate appearances, striking out once. So far this year, O’Hearn is batting .389 with an OPS of 1.183.

On the Horizon

Both teams will play the final game of the series on Wednesday. Taking the mound for the Padres is Michael King, coming off a loss against the Boston Red Sox last week. The Pirates will send out Mitch Keller, who, in contrast, is coming off a win against the Baltimore Orioles.