NO SKENES VS. SKUBAL = STUPID

The Pirates game at Detroit on Wednesday got rained out. It's being made up as part of a split doubleheader on Thursday.

Detroit's Tarik Skubal, last year's American League Cy Young Award winner, got his start pushed back from Wednesday to Thursday.

The Pirates' Paul Skenes, the heavy favorite to get this season's National League Cy Young Award, was always scheduled to pitch Thursday.

They could face each other.

They won't.

Skubal will pitch the first game, Skenes the second.

What a missed opportunity for MLB and baseball fans.

It's stupid.

Why wouldn't you do it? Why wouldn't MLB lean on both teams to do it? Why wouldn't both teams want to do it?

I bet Skenes and Skubal would love to do it.

These are the two best pitchers in MLB. Their teams play in different leagues. A chance for this matchup is rare. Maybe for an inning at the All-Star Game.

Until Skenes goes to the New York Yankees. This matchup will have more chance to occur then. Unless Skubal is also with the Yankees.

Most sports have long since forgotten they're in the entertainment business. Baseball in particular. That's why the Savannah Bananas baseball clown show is a hotter ticket than MLB. The Savannah Bananas entertain.

Pirates manager Don Kelly likely thinks that avoiding Skenes vs. Skubal gives his team a better chance at a split.

Split, sweep one way, sweep the other way, it doesn't matter. The Pirates are going nowhere.

I would hope that Detroit manager A.J. Hinch isn't brainstorming in micromanaging fashion about how to beat the Pirates. The Tigers are 47-27. The Pirates are 29-45.

Put Skenes vs. Skubal on national TV. It would be the lead on SportsCenter. It would have buzz. It would be talked about. It would be so great for those attending. Potentially a lifelong memory.

But no go.

For the sake of routine, for the sake of stupidity, for the sake of God knows what.

Baseball sucks.