CHICAGO — If the Pittsburgh Pirates needed the right guy on the mound after one of their ugliest losses of the season, they couldn't ask for much better than Paul Skenes.

Less than 24 hours after the Cubs handed Pittsburgh a 12-2 reality check at Wrigley Field, the Pirates will send their ace to the mound Saturday afternoon with a chance to reset the series — and perhaps keep their fading postseason hopes alive.

Pittsburgh enters the game at 74-74, right back at .500 after watching a four-game winning streak disappear Friday.

And with only 14 games remaining, there's no mystery about the situation anymore.

The Pirates need wins. Now.

The Perfect Time for Paul Skenes

Friday was exactly the type of game the Pirates need to forget.

Chicago collected 16 hits, scored 12 runs and turned what had been an exciting September run into a long afternoon at Wrigley.

Saturday provides Pittsburgh with something every struggling team wants after a game like that:

An ace.

Paul Skenes enters the afternoon with a 10-11 record, 3.83 ERA and 181 strikeouts.

His win-loss record doesn't tell the full story. Skenes remains one of the most overpowering pitchers in baseball and gives Pittsburgh a legitimate opportunity to win virtually every time he takes the mound.

That's exactly what the Pirates need Saturday.

Not just a quality start.

Not just five decent innings.

They could use a statement.

A Familiar Face on the Other Side

Standing in Pittsburgh's way will be a pitcher Pirates fans know very well.

Former Pirate Clay Holmes gets the start for Chicago.

Holmes enters Saturday with a 6-7 record and 2.83 ERA across the season and has been effective since joining the Cubs.

Pittsburgh drafted Holmes in 2011, and he spent parts of four seasons with the Pirates before becoming one of baseball's most prominent relievers after leaving the organization.

Now he'll face his former club in a game Pittsburgh desperately needs.

Baseball has a funny sense of timing.

Friday Needs to Stay in Friday

There's no point pretending Friday's loss wasn't ugly.

It was.

The Pirates took a 1-0 lead in the first inning before Chicago overwhelmed Pittsburgh pitching and cruised to a 12-2 victory.

But one blowout doesn't have to become two losses.

That's the challenge for a young team trying to play meaningful baseball in September.

Forget it quickly.

Show up the next day.

And respond.

Pittsburgh had won four straight games and five consecutive series before Friday's loss. That good baseball didn't disappear overnight.

Saturday is the Pirates' chance to prove it.

Can the Offense Give Skenes Some Help?

This has been one of the recurring questions whenever Skenes takes the mound.

How many runs will Pittsburgh give him?

The Pirates have shown more life offensively in recent weeks, particularly from a young group that has injected some badly needed energy into the lineup.

Konnor Griffin continues to look increasingly comfortable against Major League pitching. He opened Friday's game with a triple and scored Pittsburgh's first run.

Oneil Cruz followed Griffin with an RBI single, while Bryan Reynolds provided the Pirates' other run with a solo homer.

Those isolated moments weren't enough Friday.

Against Holmes, Pittsburgh needs to turn them into innings.

Ryan O’Hearn Gives the Lineup Another Weapon

Pittsburgh also has another experienced bat available for the stretch run.

Ryan O'Hearn has returned from the injured list after missing time with a strained left quadriceps.

O'Hearn entered Friday's game off the bench and gives manager Don Kelly another proven option in the middle of the lineup.

He returns carrying a .269 average with 17 home runs and 69 RBIs this season.

For a Pirates lineup trying to squeeze every possible win out of the final two weeks, getting O'Hearn back couldn't come at a better time.

The Wild Card Math Is Getting Uncomfortable

The Pirates have done enough over the last few weeks to keep the conversation alive.

But the clock is becoming their biggest opponent.

Pittsburgh enters Saturday five games behind the San Diego Padres for the final National League Wild Card position.

Arizona also sits between Pittsburgh and San Diego, meaning the Pirates need more than simply winning their own games.

They need help.

Lots of it.

Still, none of that matters if Pittsburgh doesn't take care of its own business.

With 14 games remaining, every loss now has the potential to be devastating.

Steel Tahn Sports Key to the Game

Players to Watch

Prediction

Friday's blowout gives plenty of reasons for pessimism.

Paul Skenes gives Pittsburgh a reason for optimism.

The Pirates couldn't stop Chicago's lineup in the opener, but Saturday should be a much different game with Skenes on the mound.

If Pittsburgh can manufacture a few runs against Holmes and avoid giving the Cubs extra outs, the Pirates have every opportunity to even this series.

Steel Tahn Sports Prediction: Pirates 4, Cubs 2

The Bottom Line

This isn't technically a must-win game.

But we're getting awfully close.

Pittsburgh fought for weeks to make September interesting. One bad afternoon at Wrigley doesn't have to end that run.

Saturday afternoon, the Pirates hand the baseball to Paul Skenes.

If there was ever a day to stop the bleeding and start another run, this is it.