With the Pirates offense struggling to push runs across like they did in tonight's 3-0 loss at the hands of the Astros at PNC Park, more pressure was placed on Paul Skenes to be flawless.

He almost was, and it still wasn't enough.

Fresh off an outing in which he threw 6 2/3 innings of scoreless ball in Arizona last week, Skenes kept the Astros at bay over 6 1/3 scoreless before leaving a first-pitch sweeper over the middle of the plate to Christian Walker:

It was the only mistake Skenes made in a sensational performance, as he went on to strike out four of the final five batters he faced en route to tossing eight innings of one-run ball. In producing his 10th quality start in 13 starts and lowering his ERA to 2.05, eighth-best in Major League Baseball, Skenes walked one batter and struck out eight. 

Skenes has posted a 1.04 ERA over his last five starts. He’s allowed just four earned runs over 34 2/3 innings in that span. His 1-2 record and the team's 2-3 mark isn’t indicative of it, though. And the consistent lack of offensive support is the leading factor. When Skenes is in the game, Pirates’ batters have scored 29 runs and only 35 1/3 innings of his 83 1/3 innings pitched have been with a lead.

The magnificence of his performances on the mound and the offensive futility the Pirates have displayed this season can be summed up in this one stat: Skenes is the first pitcher since Pedro Martínez in 2000 to lose twice in a season in starts of eight-plus innings pitched, 1/0 runs allowed, 1/0 walks and eight-plus strikeouts.

“Unfortunately, it's baseball. I know we did a good job against (Zac) Gallen last time out,” Skenes said. “From what it seemed, (Lance) McCullers did a good job today. I don't know. I don't watch the offense a ton in terms of process and sticking within our plan -- I'm not the right guy to ask. But it just goes back to controlling what we can control. It is what it is.”

Tonight, Pirates batters reached base safely on four singles, a hit by pitch, catcher’s interference and a walk. It added up to the team’s 10th shutout loss, the most in MLB.

After a 3-3 road trip in Arizona and San Diego produced 30 runs on six home runs, 13 doubles, one triple, and 34 singles, Don Kelly elected to be aggressive on the basepaths in the latter stages of tonight’s loss. The decision was made in an effort to get something going in support of Skenes.

Nick Gonzales, fresh from his rehab stint with Class AAA Indianapolis, singled to start the seventh inning, but during Henry Davis’ at-bat, Gonzales didn’t have a great jump and was thrown out trying to steal second base:  

“Yeah, I didn’t have a great jump. I should have shut it down,” Gonzales said, “Obviously, getting back into the game a little. It was a little bit of trusting myself and everything, being confident out there. Not an excuse, but I need to be better there and get a better jump.”

Davis followed with a pop out to third base and Ke’Bryan Hayes grounded out to the shortstop.

Then, in the eighth inning, Isiah Kiner-Falefa singled for his second hit of the night but was erased at second base on an Oneil Cruz fielder’s choice. Now, down one run and desperate to even the game, Cruz attempted to steal and initially it looked like he made it, but he slid off the bag:

"Tried to get something going,” Kelly said. “Cruz just being aggressive. So fast he slid past the bag a little bit and got tagged out, but he was safe in that moment. Just trying to get aggressive and create some momentum on offense and try to create some runs."

• The Pirates are fourth in MLB with 59 stolen bases and after tonight, they’ve been caught stealing 15 times, eighth-most in MLB. 

• Tonight was the 20th series of the season. The Pirates are now 6-14 in the first game of a series and have been outscored, 109-74, and at home, 64-42.

• Kyle Nicolas pitched in his first major-league game since May 1 and needed just two pitches to register two outs in the top of the ninth inning.