Pirates struggle as Paul Skenes and rotation face scrutiny against Brewers

Paul Skenes struggled in a start for the Pittsburgh Pirates against the Milwaukee Brewers on August 5. The reigning Cy Young winner posted a 6.25 ERA in July and has been unable to consistently pitch beyond five innings recently. The Pirates are now 4.5 games out of the final wild-card spot in the National League. Additionally, the rotation faces challenges with Mitch Keller on the injured list, while other starters like Braxton Ashcraft have also underperformed. Carmen Mlodzinski is expected to step up as a potential replacement for Keller as the team looks to improve their postseason chances amidst injuries to key offensive players.

• 5:25 PMYahoo Sports — Pirates need more from Paul Skenes, rotation to make MLB postseason push