PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates haven't hit the bat well recently, but luckily for them, they have Paul Skenes in their starting rotation. Skenes excelled in his start vs. the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field on May 6, throwing eight scoreless innings and 97 pitches, allowing just two hits and posting seven strikeouts. The Pirates needed every bit of that outing, as the only offense they got was a first inning home run from second baseman Brandon Lowe , the difference in the 1-0 victory. Skenes has been dominant for large parts of this season, but this start was his most important yet for the Pirates, who need him dealing if they want to make the postseason. How Skenes Dominated the Diamondbacks Skenes did post those seven strikeouts, but he got going early by getting quick outs on the ground and in the air, with five groundouts and 12 flyouts. The most pitches he thew in an inning was 17 pitches and went below 10 pitches in three different innings, making for an efficient and clean outing.…