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Pittsburgh Pirates: The Collapse Continues & Other Takeaways From Being Swept In St. Louis
By Marty Leap
The collapse continues
Absolutely nothing is going right for the Pirates right now. The team has lost 24 of 28 games since the All-Star Break and 18 of their last 20. In many of these games, the team has not even been competitive.
Poor defense and bullpen issues have caused multiple losses during this stretch. Poor fundamentals have been an issue as well. So has head scratching in game decisions from manager Clint Hurdle, who should have already been fired by now.
Players such as Pablo Reyes and Erik Gonzalez, who combined for a defensive folly that helped start the Cardinals 5-run rally in the 7th inning in Sunday’s loss, have no business being on a MLB roster. Yet, each of them continued to take a roster spot/at bats/playing time away from players such as Cole Tucker, Jason Martin, Kevin Newman, and Jose Osuna who have earned it and could be parts of the Pirates future.
Right now there is not much to look forward to with the Pirates. Fans are angry and have every right to be that way. Hopefully, sweeping changes are on the way for the Pittsburgh Baseball Club.