Pirates have somehow turned Paul Skenes' elite run into reason for everyone to shrug

Once again, Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes pitched deep into a game on Sunday against the Philadelphia Phillies. Once again, he gave up just one run. Once again, he walked away without the win.

It's become a frustratingly familiar pattern this season for Skenes, whose dominant starts have often been squandered by a bullpen meltdown or a lack of run support (or both). However, his no-decision against the Phillies on Sunday didn't result in a Pirates loss this time.

Skenes worked 7 2/3 innings, throwing 97 pitches (62 strikes) and allowing one unearned run on two hits with seven strikeouts and one walk. He was pulled with one out in the top of the eighth inning with the game tied at 1-1.

Andrew McCutchen hit a go-ahead, broken-bat single in the bottom of the inning to score Oneil Cruz for what would be the game-winning run, but it was rookie right-hander Braxton Ashcraft who would pick up his first Major League win in relief of Skenes.

Pirates have somehow turned Paul Skenes' elite run into reason for everyone to shrug

Despite not being credited with the win in Sunday's game, Skenes lowered his season ERA to 1.88 and his career ERA to 1.93. And yet, he still has a losing record (4-6) on the year, leading to plenty of grumbling about how the Pirates are wasting the prime years of their superstar by failing to build a competitive team around him. Much of that grumbling is certainly warranted, but it also points out the inherent flaw in "wins" as a stat for Major League pitchers.

Objectively speaking, it's ridiculous that Skenes has pitched to an 0.57 ERA over his two June starts and has a loss and zero wins to show for it. The issue, though, isn't that Skenes deserves more wins; the number of wins a pitcher has is irrelevant when it comes to evaluating whether that pitcher is good or not. The problem is that the Pirates should win almost every game that Skenes starts, but they manage to shoot themselves in the foot almost every time.

Wins should never be a stat that defines a pitcher. They should in this case, however, define how bad the Pirates' offense is. Fortunately, in Sunday's series finale against the Phillies, two runs proved to be enough to earn a win for the team (but not for Skenes).

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