Cubs fans rips Paul Skenes after 3-homer inning in heated Pirates clash

There is a legitimate conversation to be had about whether or not Paul Skenes should be dubbed as the best pitcher in Major League Baseball. Despite only being 22 years old, Skenes has been simply incredible throughout his short MLB career, earning the National League Rookie of the Year Award in 2024, as well as being named as the All-Star Game starting pitcher of the NL.

While Paul Skenes might be on track to become a perennial All-Star and Cy Young Award candidate, things did not go according to plan during Thursday's showdown with the Chicago Cubs. Despite coming off one of his best starts of the season, the Pittsburgh Pirates ace was rocked by the Cubs' power bats, giving up 3 home runs in the third inning of the game.

Seiya Suzuki, Kyle Tucker and Dansby Swanson all launched solo home runs off the Pirates superstar, leading some Chicago Cubs fans to take to social media to take shots at Skenes. The fact that the Cubs and Pirates are division rivals may have fuel to the fire online as fans did not miss the opportunity to poke fun at Paul Skenes.

"He's not a machine, he's a man! Way to go Cubs. Love the aggressive approach" - One fan posted online.

"Skenes can’t do anything against Cubs hr power" - Another fan shared on social media.

"What a bum. Cubs own Pittsburgh. Stop hyping Luigi MLB he’s not even good" - One more added.

Even though the Pirates and Cubs have a history, it's clear that the Chicago fans have respect for Skenes' abilities on the mound, which is a reason behind the celebration. Aside from Paul Skenes' dominant abilities, his high-profile relationship with LSU gymnast Olivia Dunne was also part of the social media storm, with several fans using her last name in various puns.

"The Cubs have Dunne it" - One fan posted.

"He’s Dunne" - Another fan shared.

"Let Paul livvy his life and be dunne with the negative comments" - One more added.

Paul Skenes spoke candidly about the state of the Pirates following a loss to Cleveland

It has been a frustrating season so far for the Pittsburgh Pirates, who were certainly hoping to find themselves in a better place by the end of April. Heading into Thursday's action, the Pirates sat last in the NL Central with a 12-19 record. While some could assume that there has been tension or a lack of chemistry in the clubhouse, Skenes kept it straightforward following an April loss to Cleveland.

"We're just not executing at a high enough level and as consistently as we need to to win these games. I don't think it's a clubhouse thing, everybody likes each other, but positive feelings and friendships don't win championships," Skenes told reporters.

It will be interesting to see how the Pirates fare as summer kicks off. When it comes to a superstar like Paul Skenes, Pittsburgh needs to get aggressive and competitive or risk wasting his prime years and making him want to stay with the organization for the long term.