Slumping Pirates Regress With Longest Losing Streak Of Second Half

The Pittsburgh Pirates have been one of the streakiest teams in baseball this year, going from red-hot to ice-cold at the flip of a switch. That’s what happens when a team dominates at home but struggles mightily on the road.

That said, the Pirates have generally played much better since the All-Star Break. They went 8-1 to close out July and won 11 of 14 from Aug. 20 through Sept. 4 despite facing a tough schedule down the stretch.

While Pittsburgh began September with a ton of momentum, it was quickly erased by a six-game losing streak — the team’s longest since the All-Star Break.

Last weekend, the Pirates were swept at home by the Milwaukee Brewers, who own the best record in baseball. The Brewers have dominated everyone this year, and Pittsburgh is no exception.

The Pirates had a chance to get back on track this week against the Baltimore Orioles, who are last in the AL East. Instead, Pittsburgh lost all three games at Camden Yards by one run, including the first two games on extra-inning walk-offs.

That’s game. Orioles 3, Pirates 2.

Pirates are swept. They scored five runs over 30 innings this series. They have been held to two or fewer runs 64 times this year, the most such games in baseball.

— Alex Stumpf (@AlexJStumpf) September 11, 2025

The Pirates’ offense, which has been a problem all season, has disappeared once again. Their bats scored just five runs in 30 innings against the Orioles, who have allowed the sixth-most runs per game in MLB this year. They’ve now scored two runs or fewer in six straight games (all losses) and 64 games overall this season — the most in baseball.

At 64-83, Pittsburgh will finish the season with a losing record for the seventh straight year. It will likely finish last in the NL Central again for the fifth time in seven seasons.

The Pirates have played better under Don Kelly, so there’s still hope that things can improve in 2026, especially with so much young talent emerging (particularly on the mound). However, it’s concerning that Pittsburgh’s .435 winning percentage is its lowest in three years, indicating that the front office has considerable work to do this offseason to help the Pirates get back in contention.

Pittsburgh will try to snap its recent skid on the road this weekend against the Washington Nationals, who are 26 games below .500 and last in the NL East.

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