Pittsburgh Pirates Woes Continue As They’re Swept In Milwaukee
The Pittsburgh Pirates continue to leak oil as they approach the finish line of the 2019 season
Mercifully, the Pittsburgh Pirates 2019 season is almost over. The team’s latest escapades came at Miller Park in Milwaukee over the weekend as they were swept in a three-game series against the Brewers.
Following the sweep the team has now lost nine games in a row. This includes being swept in each of their last three series played. This followed a 13-7 stretch during which it appeared the team may be on their way to finishing the 2019 season strong.
After being swept the Pirates are now 21-46 since the All-Star Break, and 65-91 overall this season. The series sweep also clinched the team’s worst record since their horrific 2010 season in which the team went 57-105, as well as the worst record of the Clint Hurdle Era. It will also be just the second 90 loss season since Hurdle arrived, with the other occurring in his first season back in 2011.
Following a day off on Monday, the Pirates will welcome the Chicago Cubs to PNC Park to kick off their final home stand of the 2019 season. But before we look ahead to the Cubs, let’s take a look back at three takeaways from being swept in Milwaukee.
The pitching stunk
Believe it or not, the Pirate pitching staff stunk in a series in which they allowed 24 runs across three games. Shocking stuff!
Steven Brault started on Friday and allowed 6 runs, 4 earned, in 5 1/3 innings of work. Brault has now allowed 19 earned runs on 20 hits, eight walks, six home runs, and 10 strikeouts in 13 1/3 innings of work in last three starts. The good Brault that the Pirates saw from late May through the start of September is long gone.
The third career start for Pirate Minor League Pitcher of the Year James Marvel came on Saturday night. After a strong start to the game, the wheels fell off the cart for Marvel in the 4th inning. He wound up allowing 6 runs in just 3 1/3 innings pitched.
Trevor Williams was ok on Sunday allowing just 2 runs on a pair of solo home runs. However, he pitched just 5 innings. You always want to get more than 5 innings out of your starting pitcher.
It was a long weekend for the bullpen as well.
Geoff Hartlieb allowed 4 runs in 1 1/3 innings of work Friday night leading to a 10-1 Brewer victory. The Brewers again won 10-1 on Saturday night after Chris Stratton allowed a run and Alex McRae gave up 4 runs in 2 innings of work. On Sunday, Michael Feliz allowed a 2-run home run in his lone inning of work.
The number one priority for the Pirates this off-season needs to be adding pitching. The team needs starting pitching, they need bullpen help, they need pitching depth, they just flat out need pitching help. Lots of pitching help.
The offense, like the pitching, stunk
While, yes, the Pirate pitching staff allowed an average of 8 runs per game over the weekend the offense did not help the cause. In this three-game series the Bucco bats could only muster 5 runs. 5 runs in a three-game series is not going to win you very many series, especially at a hitter’s park like Miller Park.
In addition to scoring just 5 runs, the Pirate offense mustered just 16 hits in the three games. 16 hits in 27 innings is not a recipe for success.
When the team did have base runners, they failed to capitalize. The Pirates were just 1-for-11 with runners in scoring position over the weekend, and they left 15 runners on base. Hell, the lone run they scored Saturday night came via a Milwaukee error.
While the Pirate offense has been better than expected this season, it has still not been good enough. The team has gotten below league average production out of third base, second base, and right field. Catcher? Well, that has been a total and complete train wreck.
During this nine game losing streak the Pirate offense has been shut out once, scored just 1 run four times, and they have scored just 26 runs. 14 of these 26 runs came when they scored 8 runs in their series opener against the Cubs last weekend and 6 in the series finale from Wrigley.
The Pirates are not even competitive right now
Not only have the Pirates lost nine games in a row, they have not even been competitive during this stretch. The Pirates have been outscored 87-26 during this losing streak. This includes allow 10+ runs in five of the nine games. Yikes.
Outside of Sunday’s 4-3 loss and last Thursday’s 6-5 extra innings loss against the Seattle Mariners the team has lost by 3 runs in each game of this losing streak. That includes six losses by 6 runs or more. Again, yikes.
The team’s run differential for the season is now a National League worst -163. On top of being the worst in the NL, this is the fourth worst run differential in all of baseball. So, the Pirates have been getting blown out a lot this season. The past nine games have been no different.
With the Cubs, a team that has owned the Pirates this season, looming to kick off the final home stand of the season, things could continue to be ugly for the Pirates. Hopefully, the team can get it together and at least play with some respectability in their final six games of the season.