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Paul Skenes’ ERA is nearly a full run higher than it was last season, and people are beginning to wonder whether the Pirates ace is still the same pitcher. Jim and DiNardo dig into the underlying numbers, what has actually changed and how much Pittsburgh’s awful defense has hurt him.
Then they turn their attention to a bullpen that remains one of the team’s biggest problems. The Pirates traded Joey Bart to Atlanta for former Pirate Hunter Stratton, but one familiar arm is not fixing this group by himself. What can Pittsburgh realistically do right now, and how aggressive must the front office become before the trade deadline?
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"Paul Skenes Isn’t the Problem. The Pirates Defense Is." is an episode of North Shore Nine: A Pittsburgh Pirates Podcast. Runtime 1 hr 5 min. Published June 22, 2026. Hit play above to stream it here, or open the free Spot Sports app for background play and offline downloads.