Skenes endures erratic start

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Paul Skenes could tell during his pregame bullpen session on Thursday that he wasn’t quite right.

The Chicago Cubs then went out and offered tangible proof, taking the Pittsburgh ace deep three times in the fifth inning of what became an 8-3 Pirates loss on Thursday in a performance that was decidedly unSkenes-like, at least by the 22-year-old’s remarkably high standards.

It started during his intricate warm-up, when the impeccable command that’s defined so much of the re...