PITTSBURGH — Four hours before the Pirates would host the Cubs for the second game of their series at PNC Park, team president Travis Williams was giving a tour through the team’s revamped clubhouse store along Federal Street.
Don’t worry. Williams didn’t knock any T-shirts or hats on the floor.
The Pirates really haven’t been capable of hitting much lately, which became painfully obviously for yet another night during Tuesday’s 4-0 loss to the Chicago Cubs at PNC Park.
The Pirates, who had five hits, have scored two runs over the past 38 innings. They’ve pushed across a mere 20 over their past 10. More than that, they dropped their season-high eighth in a row, rarely mounting much of anything against Marcus Stroman.
As good as Stroman has been of late — he has won seven consecutive starts while pitching to a 1.29 ERA during that time — the Pirates should be asking some serious questions internally.
This isn’t a one-time thing. It could become a really big deal if the Pirates can actually pitch it half-decently, which Johan Oviedo did against Chicago, delivering a quality start by allowing two runs over six.
But the Pirates offense, yeah, it’s been bad. Pittsburgh has just 49 hits during its eight-game losing streak. Four MLB clubs, including the Cubs, have scored as many or more runs during that time.
Bryan Reynolds is nursing a lower-back injury. Carlos Santana and Ke’Bryan Hayes have underperformed. Ji-Man Choi has been going through a running progression for weeks. Jack Suwinski, Rodolfo Castro, Ji Hwan Bae and Tucupita Marcano have been wildly inconsistent. Oneil Cruz has been hurt, obviously. And Austin Hedges and Jason Delay obviously haven’t contributed much from an offensive standpoint.
Is it hitting coach Andy Haines fault? Tough to say. He’s surely not instructing anyone to be this non-threatening at the plate, but at the same time, his employees are producing poor work. Sooner or later, that has to change.
Especially if what Williams said during that tour was true — that the Pirates fashion themselves as a playoff team and believe they can snap out of this funk. That will require a splash of offense, but it seems this team might need a splash of cold water first.
The Cubs grabbed a 1-0 lead in the third inning, in a most improbable way thanks to a home run from Tucker Barnhart. Chicago’s catcher ambushed a first-pitch heater from Oviedo and sent it 413 feet over the wall in center.
It was the first homer this season for Barnhart, who had just one in 94 games with the Tigers last season. Not only that, it was just the third home run allowed in the last 14 starts for Oviedo.
The Cubs extended their lead to 2-0 in the fourth inning, as Ian Happ (Mt. Lebanon) continued to torture his hometown team. Happ tripled and scored on a sacrifice fly.
With Dauri Moreta working the eighth inning, the Cubs made it a 3-0 game with their second home run of the night. This time it was center fielder Mike Tauchman hammering an inside changeup into the right-field seats for another solo shot.
The Cubs upped their lead to 4-0 when second baseman Nico Hoerner tripled and scored on a sacrifice fly on a play that was reviewed and overturned.
ON THE MOUND
This represented an important bounce-back start for Oviedo, who wasn’t happy with how he pitched the last time out: four earned runs allowed and four walks over 4 1/3 innings at Wrigley Field.
One change this time involved Oviedo doing a better job of commanding his four-seam fastball. He ran it up to 98.3 mph while using it to get ahead in counts and also set up his slider and curveball, the first of those responsible for seven of Oviedo’s 11 whiffs.
Oviedo worked six innings and allowed two earned runs on five hits. He didn’t walk anyone and struck out three, throwing 67 of his 101 pitches for strikes.
AT THE PLATE
A few days after he struggled mightily in Milwaukee, Connor Joe was one of the only Pirates who contributed anything with the bat against the Cubs, doubling in the second and singling in the fifth inning.
Hayes entered the game sixth in the National League in home batting average at .326 and singled in each of his first two at-bats. None of that ultimately mattered, obviously.Hayes and Joe never advanced. Ditto for Tucupita Marcano, who cracked a one-out double in the seventh inning.
Playing his second major league game, Henry Davis went 0 for 3 while serving as the designated hitter and batting fifth. Davis bounced out to short in the second and fourth. He struck out swinging in the seventh.
UP NEXT
The Pirates will try to avoid a third consecutive sweep on Wednesday, as Rich Hill starts. He’s 1-1 lifetime with a 2.49 ERA in five career appearances against the Cubs.
