KANSAS CITY — It’s been virtually 1 / 4 century because the Pirates have had such a sudden 180-degree flip of recreation fortune. They got here into this last street journey earlier than the All-Star break winners of six straight. On Wednesday, they misplaced their sixth straight, falling 4-3 to the Royals at Kauffman Stadium.
In accordance with the Elias Sports activities Bureau, that is the primary time the Pirates have adopted a profitable streak of at the very least six video games with a dropping streak of at the very least six in the identical season since Sept. 1-17, 2000. It was a primary half crammed with statistical oddities, so maybe it’s solely becoming that another will get squeezed in earlier than the buzzer.
“It is one other one-run recreation — irritating, particularly arising on the quick finish, dropping six in a row,” supervisor Don Kelly mentioned. “Successful six in a row at residence after which approaching the street and dropping six, it is robust once you’re going by means of that. Cannot get too excessive once we win six, and we have now to discover a manner to stick with it and proceed to combat.”
In a 12 months of constant inconsistencies, there will not be a larger outlier than the crew’s residence/street splits. At residence, the Pirates are 26-21. On the street, they’re 12-35 — solely a recreation forward of the White Sox and Rockies (each 11-36) for the worst street document within the Majors. The Pirates have received simply two collection away from PNC Park. Wednesday’s loss marked Pittsburgh’s fifth time being swept on the street.
“I want we might determine that out,” Kelly mentioned. “It’s, it is noticeable. To be above .500 at residence and be the place we’re at on the street is complicated, irritating. [We’re] attempting to determine methods to get on observe on the street.”
The crew hitting stats mirror the document disparity. The Pirates have a .583 OPS on the street in comparison with a .700 OPS at residence. They’ve scored 49 fewer runs on the street in comparison with residence (135 vs. 184). Whereas these residence stats aren’t nice, they’re near the center of the pack throughout MLB. On the street, they’re useless final in each OPS and runs scored.
The pitching splits aren’t as excessive, however Wednesday was not Bailey Falter’s sharpest outing. He allowed a pair of residence runs — one every to Jac Caglianone and Salvador Perez — resulting in Kelly lifting Falter after 4 2/3 innings of three-run ball.
“Felt all proper. Simply not executing,” a mum Falter mentioned in evaluation of his evening.
The Pirates tied the sport within the sixth on an RBI groundout by Oneil Cruz and a two-run single by Ke’Bryan Hayes. Perez broke the tie within the eighth together with his second homer of the sport — this one off of Isaac Mattson — which proved to be the game-winner.
Kelly identified that Falter pitched nicely sufficient to present the Pirates an opportunity to win, whereas the offensive woes have been so widespread this 12 months. For a crew trying to snap a skid and go into the break on a greater be aware, the bats simply didn’t produce sufficient.
“I do not know if anybody’s attempting to press or not, however I believe simply collectively, we have simply obtained to have the ability to choose one another up,” Hayes mentioned.
There nonetheless lies another collection earlier than the break, this time in Minneapolis. It at the very least supplies the chance to buck the pattern, even when only for a weekend.
“We have got to maintain going, get again on observe, maintain grinding,” Kelly mentioned. “We at all times speak about 162 video games. It is simpler when it is going good, however when it is robust, we have now to dig deep and discover a manner.”
