Diary of a long suffering Pirates fan: Games 23-26. How do we keep losing to these guys?

But somehow even with this poor fielding, the Pirates found themselves leading the game 5 to 4.  They just needed to get six outs to leave town with a satisfying 3 out of 4 from the first-place Brewers. Victory was within reach until it wasn’t.  Aroldis Chapman was brought in in the eighth to protect the one run lead.  And it looked like he was going to do it, too.  But with two outs a runner on second and 0 balls and 2 strikes on Gary Sanchez, Sanchez somehow caught up to a Chapman 102 mph sinker that didn’t sink so well and deposited it into the right field stands for a two-run homer that put Milwaukee in the lead for good.  In a bit of an ironic twist, Sanchez was between the Pirates and Brewers this offseason and chose the Brewers instead.

And for the second time this season, the Pirates blew a late-inning lead on getaway day.  A defeat that leaves a very sour taste in the mouths of the Pirates and their fans.

Next up are six games against the Giants and the Oakland A’s on the road.  Both teams are below .500.  But, this is the Pirates we’re talking about.  West Coast road trips are typically not kind to the Pirates, no matter the competition. 

Hopefully this goes better than it typically does.