Pirates Set Another Low Mark With Reds Loss
There once was a time when the Pittsburgh Pirates were the class of the National League and a perennial World Series contender.
Those days are long gone, though, and the Pirates hit another low with their 8-3 loss to the Cincinnati Reds on Friday at Great American Ballpark. With the loss, Pittsburgh dropped to 72-82 and will finish under .500 for the 28th time in 34 seasons. The last time Pittsburgh finished over .500 was in 2018, when it went 82-79 but still finished in fourth place in the NL Central.
The Pirates have finished in fourth or last place in their division in seven straight seasons and is set to extend that streak to eight barring a miracle in the final eight games of the year.
Being eliminated from playoff contention before the final week of the season is a microcosm of a brutal stretch since 2000. Pittsburgh has lost over 90 games 12 times since 2000 and has reached or surpassed 100 losses four times.
The Pirates showed promise at the beginning of the 2024 season and were in the thick of the playoff race up through July. Pittsburgh's hopes of reaching the playoffs effectively collapsed in August when it went 8-19, including a 10-game losing streak at one point and fell to nine games below .500 after beginning the month 55-53.
How the Pirates approach the offseason will go a long way toward determining if they can turn things around. The first big decision will be determining if general manager Ben Cherington and manager Derek Shelton will return for next season. While the Pirates are in a better position than when they first arrived after the 2019 season, they are still 290-410 with a pair of 100-loss seasons to their ledger.
Regardless of the direction Pittsburgh chooses to go with Cherington and Shelton, bolstering the offense and bullpen should quite clearly be the priority this offseason. The Pirates' bullpen is 27th in ERA and the offense ranks in the bottom 10 in nearly every major category.
The one silver lining to this season is the Pirates' pitching staff looks like it can anchor the team for years to come. Paul Skenes has cemented himself as the franchise's ace for years to come. Jared Jones has also looked the part of a frontline starter in his rookie season.
Things have been dreadful for most of the last 34 seasons for the Pirates. The struggles in the second half of this season could be a blessing in disguise if they can stay consistent for all of next year, but that was likely the hope after many of the seasons Pittsburgh missed the playoffs.
Until the Pirates do prove that they can turn things around, there isn't much reason to believe they can return to the franchise that once won two World Series in a decade and five in their franchise history.
NATHANIEL MARRERO