Just a few days ago, the Pittsburgh Pirates looked unstoppable. They had a dominant six-game homestand where they swept the New York Mets and St. Louis Cardinals, outscoring them 43-4.
The Pirates were doing everything well, but the biggest difference for them was that they were finally hitting the ball after struggling at the plate for much of the season. They averaged 7.2 runs per game during their winning streak — more than double their season average.
Unfortunately, their offense has abandoned them on their current road trip, which has started with back-to-back shutout losses against the Seattle Mariners. After getting blanked 6-0 on Friday, Pittsburgh fell 1-0 on Saturday, squandering another strong performance by their pitching staff.
The Pirates have been shut out 12 times this year, which is the most in MLB and accounts for 13.3% of their games. However, this was the first time this season they’ve gone scoreless in consecutive contests.
Recent hot streak aside, Pittsburgh’s lineup has been one of the worst in baseball this year. It ranks 29th in the Major Leagues in runs per game (3.44), ahead of only the Kansas City Royals. The Pirates are also tied for last in home runs (61) with the Royals and have the lowest slugging percentage (.343), contributing to the second-worst OPS (.642) and lowest OPS+ (80) in MLB.
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Pittsburgh’s been great on the mound, allowing the fourth-fewest runs per game (3.84) and tying for the best ERA+ (118) in baseball. However, the arms simply aren’t getting enough help from the bats, resulting in a 38-52 record.
On the plus side, Pirates general manager Ben Cherington recognizes his team needs offense and plans to prioritize it at the July 31 Trade Deadline. If he’s able to bring in some bats, that would go a long way towards helping Pittsburgh be more competitive down the stretch and beyond.
In the meantime, the Pirates will try to avoid the sweep (and a third straight shutout) on Sunday behind Paul Skenes (4-7, 2.03 ERA), who’s gotten notoriously poor run support this season. Pittsburgh’s scored three runs or less in 14 of his 18 outings, which is a big reason why he has only four wins despite leading all pitchers in WAR (4.5).
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Pittsburgh will face George Kirby (2-4, 4.85 ERA), who’s allowed two runs or less in five of his last six outings.
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Featured image via John Froschauer/Imagn Images