The Pittsburgh Pirates faced off against the Milwaukee Brewers for the second time this season. Once again, the same issues resurfaced. To be fair, the Pirates showed determination, but unfortunately, that wasn’t enough to overcome their struggles at bat and on the mound. A tragic end came in the form of a 7-2 loss at PNC Park, but what went wrong? What needs to change?
Brewers’ Strong Performance
The Pirates were looking to get back out of their funk coming into this game, but it didn’t take too long to realize that many of those issues were still very much in place. They managed nine hits, which sounds good, but only plated one with runners in scoring position. That has been the problem lately. Meanwhile, the Brewers capitalized on every chance, and the play’s difference was clear.
For the Pirates, nine hits meant little. They were 1-for-5 with runners in scoring position, leaving six stranded on base. This has become an occasional theme; they seem particularly powerless during big moments to drive in. Jared Triolo made a good day of it, at least, going 3-for-4, but that was it.
While the Brewers capitalized on their chances, the Pirates did little. They were 3-for-12 with runners in scoring position, a difference of significant proportion. Supporting Sal Frelick, Joey Ortiz drove in three runs and came up huge in tight spots. Where the Pirates momentarily responded on an RBI single by Triolo, they never regained any semblance of any type of forward momentum.
Problem Pitching
Bailey Falter absorbed the loss, hurling five innings and surrendering four runs. The bullpen was little better, as Isaac Mattson served up three runs in just more than an inning. The pitching hasn’t thrown the ball well the last few turns, allowing far too many runs and leaving the offense with too much in a hole. The Brewers’ bullpen was tremendous, firing five scoreless frames and limiting the Pirates from ever seriously threatening to get back into the game.
This is the Pirates’ last game of the season, and they close out the season at 73-84. They have taken 5 games in this year’s series against the Brewers while losing 6. In this game and the season overall, the team must reflect on what went wrong. Improvement in performing with runners in scoring position, tightening pitching, and little else could help them end out strong and prepare for next year’s season.
Conclusion
They will meet the Brewers once more this season, bringing a lesson from such defeat. These few games remaining in the season call for identifying weaknesses and adjusting to them. Great players like Triolo and Bart can shine only if the rest of the team shines, too.
For instance, this loss to the Brewers continues to problematize the Pirates team, issues on offense and pitching inconsistency. They may prepare to play out the next game by maximizing scoring opportunities when they’re at bat and tightening up their pitching, and they might make the whole difference. The Pirates have all the parts needing to buckle up and improve to garner that turnaround situation, starting with these abovementioned problems.
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