‘Everybody is frustrated’: Pirates suffer 6th consecutive loss, 2nd straight series sweep
After racing out to the best record in baseball through the first 11 games, the Pittsburgh Pirates look lost amid a freefall that saw them suffer a sixth consecutive loss and second straight series sweep.
The home clubhouse was mostly quiet and subdued after a 6-1 loss to the Boston Red Sox on Sunday afternoon before 18,814 at PNC Park, save a few private conversations between players or players and coaches in the corners. Otherwise, there wasn’t much to say.
“Really, the same as (Saturday),” Pirates outfielder Bryan Reynolds said of the mood. “Everybody is frustrated.”
The Pirates (11-11) have dropped nine of their past 11 games after a 9-2 start, including a three-game series sweep at the New York Mets. During their six-game losing streak, they have scored one run in four games and have a total of nine runs. In four of the six games, the Pirates blew an early lead.
Pirates manager Derek Shelton described this loss as a “sloppy game” where the team “didn’t play well.” And that was being kind. The Pirates committed two errors in the field and made two mistakes on the basepaths in falling to a Red Sox team that is missing All-Star third baseman Rafael Devers and shortstop Trevor Story. On top of that, Boston played a handful of Pirates castoffs, including catchers Reese McGuire and Tyler Heineman, infielder Pablo Reyes and reliever Chase Anderson.
The Pirates are hoping to stop their skid Monday, when they open NL Central Division play by hosting the first-place Milwaukee Brewers (13-6) for a four-game series.
“We have to play the game. It’s already tough. We’re making it tougher,” Pirates left-hander Martin Perez said. “I think we have to change our body language a little bit and enjoy the game. We’re putting too much pressure on. We’re not getting the results that we’re looking for. We have to come in tomorrow, go out there and enjoy it and try to play better. … As a group, we have to turn the page. It was a bad week for us. We have to start on the right foot tomorrow.”
Perez was willing to shoulder his share of the blame after an uneven performance in which he allowed four earned runs on six hits and four walks while tying his season high with seven strikeouts. It was the most runs and walks allowed this season by Perez, who also had the shortest outing of his five starts.
“That’s the first time, even going back to spring training, that we saw him not be efficient,” Shelton said. “He just did not look like he was in a rhythm all game at all. He’s one of those guys, he gets in a rhythm and he goes. With the exception of the second inning, when he threw 10 pitches, he did not have a rhythm today.”
