Regardless of the stage, Skenes continues to show what he's made of

With each passing start, it's becoming more and more clear that Paul Skenes is superbly equipped to thrive as a top-tier starting pitcher at the major-league level. Of course, that has a lot to do with the impressive repertoire that allows him to keep opposing hitters consistently off balance, as well as the truly remarkable numbers he's putting up as a 22-year-old rookie and former first overall pick. 

But what continues to separate Skenes from other top-notch starters who toe the rubber of big-league mounds on a game-to-game basis is his ability to stay composed and within himself under any circumstance and on any stage. Whether he's facing the top hitters the American League has to offer while under the national spotlight in the MLB All-Star Game, or he's navigating his way through the Cardinals' lineup in front of the 32,422 fans who saw the Pirates suffer a 2-1 loss Tuesday night at PNC Park, Skenes continues to prove time and time again that he belongs among the very best in baseball. 

"Obviously, the All-Star Game is a test and pitching here at home in front of however many people is a test," Skenes told me. "The goal is to go out there and see what I'm made of every time I pitch." 

On this particular night, Skenes showed exactly what he was made of in covering a career-high 8 1/3 innings. He allowed two runs on four hits, didn't surrender a walk and struck out eight in an outing that warranted this loud ovation upon him trotting out to the mound for the ninth inning ...

... as well as the "M-V-P!" chants that rang throughout the crowd as he warmed up: 

But, again, it wasn't just the numbers easily visible within the box score that stood out in yet another impressive outing that saw his season ERA swell ever so slightly to a still minuscule 1.93 through 12 starts. It wasn't the eight strikeouts -- part of a franchise record nine consecutive games with seven-plus strikeouts -- that saw his season total rise to a whopping 97 in 74 2/3 innings. 

What stood out more than anything else was the way Skenes bounced back from allowing this solo home run to Nolan Arenado on the first pitch he threw -- a curveball that ended up down and over the plate -- in the top of the fifth inning: 

"It's one pitch. Maybe it wasn't the right pitch to throw there. I executed it well," Skenes said. "He's a really good hitter. He's a Hall of Famer. So that stuff's gonna happen. It's just about getting back and executing."

Skenes didn't dwell on the negative result of the at-bat. Instead, he oozed the type of confidence one would expect from arguably the league's best pitcher since his debut on May 11, and did exactly what he was hoping to do, as he executed in throwing 14 pitches and collecting three straight strikeouts of Lars Nootbaar, Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Gorman: 

Those three outs began a string of 12 straight batters retired by Skenes over the course of four innings. Michael Siani snapped that streak with a leadoff double in the ninth and later scored on an RBI single by Alec Burleson that concluded Skenes' career night. 

"I actually don't know what it is. It's just kind of innate. It's in his DNA," Derek Shelton said when asked about what allows him to exude confidence regardless of the result. "He stays calm and executes his pitches. We really have not seen him get high or low. He's stayed pretty consistent throughout all the outings."

Skenes, who has limited opposing hitters to a .195 average in a dozen outings this season, deserved to leave a winner Tuesday night. Instead, he suffered his first career major-league loss, as the offensive support was nearly non-existent with a singular run on a Nick Gonzales RBI single in the eighth inning. The Pirates' offense has been limited to just two runs over Skenes' last two starts. 

While Skenes acknowledged there is less room for error and the execution of pitches has to be finer in a scoreless game, he's managed to answer the call in giving the Pirates a chance to win every time he steps foot on the mound. Just another way in which he's managed to show Pittsburgh -- and the entire baseball world -- exactly what he's made of.

"That's my job," Skenes said with a smile. "I'm going to do it to the best of my abilities."