Paul Skenes struggled on the mound, lasting only four innings against the Philadelphia Phillies and allowing a season-high seven earned runs in a 10-6 loss on Wednesday night.

What happened?

The defending NL Cy Young Award winner fell behind on some counts and left some balls over the plate, leading to a five-run Phillies second inning.

Skenes threw 35 pitches during that inning, highlighted by Trea Turner's three-run homer.

Why it matters for Paul Skenes

This loss marks Skenes' first in nine starts, with his record falling to 6-8 and his ERA climbing to 3.62 since beating Colorado 3-1 on May 12.

Pirates manager Don Kelly said the baserunner did a good job getting in the way of a routine force play at the plate, allowing two runs to score.

What comes next?

Skenes will look to bounce back from this outing and improve his execution on the mound, saying he needs to execute a few pitches better.

The Pirates will face another tough test in their next game, looking to turn their season around after this loss.

Skenes gave up a home run to Brandon Marsh in the third and watched Bryce Harper's liner get misjudged by Pirates left fielder Tyler Callihan for a two-run double.

He took his time on the mound, struggling to find his rhythm and command, and the Phillies took advantage of it.

The Phillies didn't wait long to score, with Skenes allowing two runs in the second inning on a grounder that was fielded by Pirates third baseman Nick Gonzales.

Trea Turner said the Phillies have a good lineup and they battle, knowing Skenes is really good and always gives them a fight.

Skenes said he didn't execute very well and that's what it comes down to, falling behind on some counts and leaving some balls over the plate.

The Pirates will look to regroup and come back stronger in their next game, hoping to turn their season around after this tough loss.

Skenes' puzzlement is growing, and he will look to figure out what's going wrong and make the necessary adjustments to get back on track.

He said they'll figure out what it is and just keep attacking it, looking to improve his performance and help the Pirates win.

The loss marks a tough outing for Skenes, but he will look to bounce back and prove himself as one of the top pitchers in the league.