Skenes: Pirates' 2-6 start on players, not brass

PITTSBURGH -- Paul Skenes isn't precisely definite what the Pittsburgh Pirates' grounds is, lone that it's not good.

Pittsburgh's young ace and reigning National League Rookie of the Year understands the frustrations that resulted successful boos and chants of "Sell the team" directed astatine progressively fashionable targets manager Derek Shelton and proprietor Bob Nutting during a 9-4 nonaccomplishment to the New York Yankees connected Friday.

Skenes believes the angst should beryllium directed elsewhere.

"Mr. Nutting and Shelty aren't the ones playing," Skenes said connected Saturday. "We're the ones playing. If we were 8-0 done nevertheless galore games we've played close now, the fans aren't booing. We've got to play better."

With the Pirates astatine 2-6, the 22-year-old Skenes has been 1 of the fewer agleam spots during a dismal opening 10 dayss. The right-hander has been superb during his 2 starts, allowing 2 earned runs connected six hits with 13 strikeouts successful 12 1/3 innings.

But it's telling of however things person gone that Pittsburgh dropped its opener erstwhile the bullpen imploded aft his exit and needed a precocious dash of discourtesy -- a rarity truthful acold -- to shingle escaped of Tampa Bay connected Wednesday.

On Friday, the typically celebratory ambiance of Pittsburgh's location opener was tinged with audible and disposable signs of instrumentality unrest. A level circled PNC Park towing a banner urging Nutting to enactment the nine up for sale. Shelton, present successful his sixth season, was booed erstwhile helium was introduced. And chants of "Sell the Team" popped up a fistful of times arsenic the Yankees rapidly pulled away.

Everyone successful the organization, from Nutting to Shelton to Skenes, person stressed it's clip for the Pirates to contend. They haven't looked the portion truthful far, though it's important to enactment they've played 5% of their 162-game schedule.

Most teams spell done a rocky agelong astatine immoderate point. Skenes is optimistic Pittsburgh's conscionable happened to travel successful April.

"It's a agelong season," helium said. "I privation to judge that it each evens out. But we aren't getting these games back. We volition spell connected a agelong wherever we volition spell ... 7-2 oregon wherever we are close present successful an other way."

Shelton, successful Friday's postgame media availability, was asked astir the fans and their reactions during the game, and helium acknowledged their feelings, adding that "their vexation is that they privation to win. I privation to win, and our players privation to win. We person to support focusing connected that."

Piitsburgh has been flushed with mistakes, peculiarly connected the basepaths and successful the outfield, wherever it's often been an escapade for centerfielder Oneil Cruz and whoever ends up flanking him.

"I deliberation beauteous overmuch everything has country to improve," Skenes said. "We tin play a batch better."

Skenes added helium sees the enactment that goes connected down closed doors, truthful he's not going to panic. Asked to elaborate connected what that enactment mightiness entail, helium smiled and said, "There are reasons it's down closed doors sometimes. We've got to support doing things right."

The mode the rotation bid prevented Skenes from facing Aaron Judge and the torpedo-bat-wielding Yankees this weekend. He's not that concerned, pointing retired he'll apt get a commencement against Judge aboriginal successful the season.

"We're going to get our chances to look off," Skenes said, earlier casually adding "probably spot him successful the All-Star Game this twelvemonth again. It is what it is. We're going to beryllium astir for a small bit."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.