Since the end of May, when they started their climb in the National League Central Division and wild card standings, the Pittsburgh Pirates have been a model of consistency. The Bucs’ longest losing streak of the season — five games — was way back in April. They had a four-game losing streak in mid-June and a three-game losing streak in late June. Those were counterbalanced by four four-game winning streaks between the end of May and the end of July and one five-game winning streak from July 17-22. That consistency pushed the Pirates from a record of 20-24 on May 23 to a 64-50 record today, a 44-26 pace over nearly three months.
But the last week has not been kind to the Pirates, and it couldn’t have come at a worse time. The Bucs have dropped six of their last ten games and lost a game in the NL Central standings to the division-leading Reds, who also stumbled last week but managed to go 5-5. The Cardinals — of the +101 run differential — are lurking, just behind the Pirates in both races. And don’t forget Braves, Giants, Dodgers and Diamondbacks who are all battling with the Pirates for a wild-card spot as a fallback to a division title.
In consecutive games last week, the Pirates were done in by two different players who each posted games in the Top 250 in Win Probability Added this season. On Thursday, the Pirates were battling the Diamondbacks at home in the last game of four-game series. The Bucs had won two of the first three games and were ahead 3-2 in the 6th inning of final game. Wandy Rodriguez, acquired from the Astros before the trade deadline, was on the mound for the Pirates, trying to preserve the one-run lead. Rodriguez retired Justin Upton to start the 6th, but gave up a single to his former Astros teammate Chris Johnson, who’d also been traded at the deadline, to the Diamondbacks. Rodriguez then got Chris Young on a pop fly, bringing Wil Nieves to the plate.
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