Pirates' latest loss to Padres show how everything's gone wrong for Pittsburgh

Opening a critical three-game series against the San Diego Padres on Monday, the Pittsburgh Pirates had a chance to right the ship amidst an epic August collapse. Instead, they wasted another stellar starting pitching effort, lost their eighth game in a row and gave us all a reminder of what caused this collapse in the first place.

Jake Woodford got the starting nod for Pittsburgh Monday and delivered a gem, allowing just three hits, one earned run and no walks over six innings of work. But it still wasn't enough. Despite having a runner reach second in six different innings, the Pirates managed to score just one run while leaving 10 men on base and going just 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position. They stranded runners in eight of nine innings and ended up losing to the Padres by one run.

Such a loss is disappointing in its own right, but it gets even worse when you consider what was at stake. Coming out of the All-Star break, the Padres and Pirates were neck-and-neck in a tight National League Wild Card race. The former have now won 10 of their last 12, soaring to 14 games over .500 and pulling even with the Arizona Diamondbacks for the top Wild Card spot. The latter, meanwhile, have lost 10 of 11 to fall to six games below .500 and into last place in the National League Central Division.

Pirates' latest loss to Padres show how everything's gone wrong for Pittsburgh

With every loss, the Pirates continue to lose ground in the race for a Wild Card spot, a goal that now feels like a longshot at best. They also continue to lose the faith of a fanbase that has watched them fall victim to the same issues that have plagued them all season.

Nothing can go right for this team. When they pitch, they can't hit. When they hit (which is rare), they can't pitch. When they excel defensively, they can't score runs. When they score runs, they commit costly defensive errors. When the starting pitcher is good, the bullpen blows a lead. When the relievers are good enough to keep a game close, they get no run support.

That's how you lose eight games in a row and remove yourself from the playoff conversation. Frankly, it's how you remove yourself from the finishing-the-season-over-.500 conversation, too.

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