Photo: Paul Skenes dons blue suit for second MLB start as Pirates face Cubs in important Wrigley Field showdown

Paul Skenes made his highly anticipated MLB debut last week against the Chicago Cubs, and the rookie pitcher looked very promising in the 10-9 win. After a debut featuring multiple triple-digit fastballs amid a few wobbles, the 21-year-old Pirates pitcher is preparing to face the Cubs again, this time at Wrigley Field.

Talkin' Baseball took to X to share a photo of Skenes arriving for the game, who had elected for a professional look with a blue suit.

Since Paul Skenes' debut, the Pirates have been swept by their division-leading rivals, the Milwaukee Brewers, but bounced back with a 5-4 win against the Cubs on Thursday.

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Paul Skenes to face Cubs with Pirates struggling in Central

After a fast start to the 2024 MLB season, some Pirates fans were doubtless optimistic that the team could challenge for its first NL Central title. However, a rough patch hit, and Pittsburgh fell into some poor form, featuring multiple losing streaks in April and May.

With the Pirates at 20-25 and third in the Central, there's still room for hope for their fans. Realistically, being swept by the 26-17 Brewers shone a light on some issues in Pittsburgh. While they had the chance to make a statement in Milwaukee, they failed to do so, losing 8-6, 4-3 and 10-2.

Given the importance of the series against the second-placed, 25-20 Cubs, Paul Skenes finds himself in similar circumstances to when he faced them last week. The Pirates are in danger of slipping in the division, with the 19-25 Cincinnati Reds and 18-25 St. Louis Cardinals not far behind them.

Pittsburgh will doubtless be focused on what's in front of them, rather than who is behind. If they are to return to the playoffs for the first time since 2015, they have to do better in divisional games. At 5-6 against Central teams, a little consistency could go a long way to pushing them forward.

It will be interesting to see if Paul Skenes can build on his seven-strikeout debut and lead the Pirates to victory on Friday.