KANSAS CITY -- It’s been almost a quarter century since the Pirates have had such a sudden 180-degree turn of game fortune. They came into this final road trip before the All-Star break winners of six straight. On Wednesday, they lost their sixth straight, falling 4-3 to the Royals at Kauffman Stadium.
According to the Elias Sports Bureau, this is the first time the Pirates have followed a winning streak of at least six games with a losing streak of at least six in the same season since Sept. 1-17, 2000. It was a first half filled with statistical oddities, so perhaps it’s only fitting that one more gets squeezed in before the buzzer.
“It's another one-run game -- frustrating, especially coming up on the short end, losing six in a row,” manager Don Kelly said. “Winning six in a row at home and then coming on the road and losing six, it's tough when you're going through that. Can't get too high when we win six, and we have to find a way to stay with it and continue to fight.”
In a year of consistent inconsistencies, there may not be a greater outlier than the team’s home/road splits. At home, the Pirates are 26-21. On the road, they're 12-35 -- only a game ahead of the White Sox and Rockies (both 11-36) for the worst road record in the Majors. The Pirates have won just two series away from PNC Park. Wednesday's loss marked Pittsburgh's fifth time being swept on the road.
"I wish we could figure that out,” Kelly said. “It is, it's noticeable. To be above .500 at home and be where we're at on the road is confusing, frustrating. [We're] trying to figure out how to get on track on the road."
The team hitting stats reflect the record disparity. The Pirates have a .583 OPS on the road compared to a .700 OPS at home. They’ve scored 49 fewer runs on the road compared to home (135 vs. 184). While those home stats aren’t great, they’re close to the middle of the pack across MLB. On the road, they’re dead last in both OPS and runs scored.
The pitching splits aren’t as extreme, but Wednesday was not Bailey Falter’s sharpest outing. He allowed a pair of home runs -- one each to Jac Caglianone and Salvador Perez -- leading to Kelly lifting Falter after 4 2/3 innings of three-run ball.
"Felt all right. Just not executing,” a mum Falter said in assessment of his night.
The Pirates tied the game in the sixth on an RBI groundout by Oneil Cruz and a two-run single by Ke’Bryan Hayes. Perez broke the tie in the eighth with his second homer of the game -- this one off of Isaac Mattson -- which proved to be the game-winner.
Kelly pointed out that Falter pitched well enough to give the Pirates a chance to win, while the offensive woes have been so common this year. For a team looking to snap a skid and go into the break on a better note, the bats just didn’t produce enough.
“I don't know if anyone's trying to press or not, but I think just collectively, we've just got to be able to pick each other up,” Hayes said.
There still lies one more series before the break, this time in Minneapolis. It at least provides the opportunity to buck the trend, even if just for a weekend.
“We've got to keep going, get back on track, keep grinding,” Kelly said. “We always talk about 162 games. It's easier when it's going good, but when it's tough, we have to dig deep and find a way.”