The Chicago Cubs executed their game plan against Paul Skenes to perfection Thursday afternoon en route to an 8-3 victory.

The Pittsburgh Pirates ace arguably is the best pitcher in Major League Baseball today, but the Cubs had a patient approach against him in the series finale.

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They spent the first four innings waiting out Skenes, working up his pitch count and drawing four walks. Then they exploded in the fifth inning for three home runs off Skenes — something that hasn’t happened to him before in the big leagues.

In fact, Skenes never had given up three homers in a start before — and he entered Thursday with only one career game with multiple longballs allowed (June 2024).

The Cubs trailed 2-0 entering the top of the fifth inning before Dansby Swanson led off with a solo shot.

Three batters later, Kyle Tucker and Seiya Suzuki went back-to-back off Skenes.

Skenes had allowed only one homer all season entering Thursday, and he saw that total quadruple in the one big inning. He also had walked just four batters all season (37.2 innings), but he walked four Cubs in five innings.

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Skenes also struck out just two Cubs hitters — his lowest strikeout total in a start over his MLB career.

The 22-year-old phenom was very good against the Cubs in four starts during his 2024 rookie season with a 2.25 ERA, 1.15 WHIP and 30 strikeouts in 20 innings.