Paul Skenes‘ girlfriend, Olivia Dunne, is one of his biggest supporters on and off the field. She made it to PNC Park for almost all of his home starts with the Pittsburgh Pirates in the rookie season last year, which saw Skenes win the NL ROY award, finish third in the NL CY voting, and start the Midsummer Classic for the NL All-Stars at Globe Life Field in Arlington, TX, in July 2024.
The 23-year-old strike thrower is having a disappointing season in 2025 through no fault of his own. While he has a losing record, the RHP has showcased sheer dominance from the mound. The losses have come because of the Pirates’ lineup’s lack of hitting prowess or the slender lead in the game, which means a relief pitcher comes out with the save and the win, wiping out Skenes’ solid starts in those games.
Olivia Dunne Shares a Quirky Message for Her Pet Pup While Watching Skenes’ Pitch at PNC Park
On Tuesday night, Skenes made the 18th of his campaign against the St. Louis Cardinals at home. He had pitched twice this season against the Pirates’ NL Central rivals before heading into Tuesday night’s game. Both those starts had resulted in a loss, so Skenes was attempting to claim one win against them as the Bucs nation and Dunne sat in the stands cheering him on.
Dunne was joined by some of her friends, one of whom brought their pet canine to the ballpark. The former LSU Tigers gymnast shared a smiling image with that dog on her Instagram story with a four-word quirky caption for her furry friend, Roux. The caption read, “Shh, don’t tell @thatgirlroux.”
Skenes pitched five solid frames, giving up no earned runs on five hits, walking one, and striking out five batters to set the tone for the home team’s slender shutout victory in game 2 of the three-game series.
Paul Skenes tonight:
5.0 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 SO
88 pitches, 59 strikes, 8 whiffsHe has a 2.03 ERA this season. NL Cy Young. Now. pic.twitter.com/uwtAkXGtNz
— Platinum Ke’Bryan (@PlatinumKey13) July 2, 2025
The 2024 NL ROY of the year registered a no result as the Pirates won the contest 1-0. Pirates reliever Issac Mattson registered the win after pitching a scoreless top of the eighth.
Paul Skenes Will Make His Next Start in Kansas City
Skenes is 4-7 for the campaign and desperate to register a win in his next big league start. He is winless in his last six starts and has compiled a 0-2 record in that tenure. A pitcher of Skenes’ caliber will eye a win when he takes to the mound next time in the series opener against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium on July 7.
It remains to be seen whether Skenes becomes a two-time All-Star this season and whether he can claim the elusive Cy Young award in his second whole big league campaign in the major leagues.