The Pittsburgh Pirates have clinched a 20th consecutive losing season

The Pittsburgh Pirates have clinched a 20th consecutive losing season

You have to stand back in awe of the way they snatched defeat from the jaws of victory.

Look at the standings on August 6th. They were 16 games over .500 and had a two-game pad for the second wild card slot. Given that the season was already 2/3 over, it did not seem possible that they could finish below .500. And then they remembered that they were the Pirates. Since that date they have been 15-36 while fielding essentially the same team that had been playing .574 ball.

Their pitching staff had an ERA of 3.47 at the All-Star break (5th in the majors), but has slipped to 4.39 in August (22nd) and 4.68 in September (24th).

Despite their slump in the second half, you would think that their pitching has been better than their hitting this year because the Buccos are 23rd in the majors in runs scored, and an apparently solid 13th in runs allowed. Your thinking would be wrong. That is actually an illusion created by their extreme pitchers' ballpark, where their staff has a 3.07 ERA and their hitters produce fewer runs at home than any team not named the Mariners. Their offense is actually solid. They are actually 9th in the majors in runs scored on the road, but a dismal 24th in runs allowed on the road.