MILWAUKEE — General manager Ben Cherington said Monday the Pirates were excited to add to this year’s team because they believe, with the right moves, a push into October is possible.
There’s ample work ahead to fulfill those expectations — and what occurred this week in Milwaukee needs to serve as a wakeup call.
The Pirates suffered a 5-2 loss to the Brewers on Thursday at American Family Field, dropping Don Kelly’s team into last place in the NL Central after back-to-back series where Pittsburgh ceded three of four to an NL Central opponent.
It's now five consecutive series losses for the Pirates (57-60) since taking two of three in Cleveland. Their record since the All-Star break is just 7-13, and they’re three games under .500 for the first time all year.
“We've responded extremely well over the course of the entire season," Brandon Lowe said. "It's get punched in the face, and next series we seem to respond. That's what we have to do this time.”
Thursday’s loss dropped the Pirates to five games out of the second Wild Card spot in the National League, with four teams they need to leapfrog. Worse, the Pirates made three unnecessary outs on the bases, contributing to the frustration at the end of a long trip.
“We’ve got to play better baseball,” Pirates manager Don Kelly said. “The small things that killed us on the bases [Thursday] can’t happen.”
Not with the thin margin of error that has been created. Since the All-Star break, the Pirates are averaging just 3.6 runs per game, down from the 5.3 they put up in the 97 games that preceded it. Furthermore, the Pirates have enjoyed just four quality starts since the break.
Braxton Ashcraft allowed four earned runs over five innings Thursday. The Brewers hit two homers off Ashcraft, the 10th and 11th over his past seven starts. Ashcraft's ERA during that time: 6.81.
With the score tied at 2, the Brewers pulled away with a few big swings off Ashcraft in the fifth inning.
The first was catcher Gary Sanchez, who turned on a 2-1 sinker that was middle-in, depositing it over the fence in left-center for his homer since June 28.
“Gotta get rid of the homer bug,” Ashcraft said. “It boils down to making better pitches in those counts and not giving up homers."
The second came from Brice Turang. Milwaukee’s second baseman hit it just 86 mph, but Nick Gonzales could only deflect the ground ball into left for a 4-2 Brewers lead.
It was one of a few sequences Gonzales will probably want back after he was doubled off at first base twice, ending the second and seventh innings.
“I just got off [the base] a little bit too much,” Gonzales said. “The second one, for sure. Needed to stay a little closer to first base in order to get back in time."
Another baserunning mistake came in the Pirates’ two-run fourth, when Endy Rodriguez made the first out of the inning at third base following Horwitz’s single.
After the Brewers' two-run fifth, first baseman Andrew Vaughn upped made it 5-2 with a 109.1-mph single Gregory Soto in the sixth.
Milwaukee built a 2-0 lead on left fielder Jackson Chourio’s solo homer, another mis-executed pitch that bugged Ashcraft. The Brewers added another run in the third after David Hamilton walked, stole second, advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on a sacrifice fly.
Lowe connected for his 24th homer in the fourth, his 23rd as a second baseman to tie Neil Walker’s record for that position in 2014. Spencer Horwitz knocked in the other run with his line-drive single to center on a first-pitch cutter up in the zone.
That was it for the Pirates offense, which has been so good this season but had a tough series with 10 runs scored and 47 strikeouts. Yet with an identity of responding to adversity this season, Lowe said there’s a confidence that will happen again this weekend against the Mets at PNC Park.
“There are gonna be weeks where we're gonna find ourselves in the situation we are now, but next week we could win all six and wind up in a Wild Card spot,” Lowe said. “It's going to be a grind, and we're going to have to play our best baseball up until the final game. Wipe what happened here and get ready for New York.”
Mlodzinski to start
Kelly said postgame Carmen Mlodzinski will start Friday against the Mets. It will mark Mlodzinski’s first start May 25 against the Cubs, before the Pirates moved Mlodzinski to a high-leverage bulk role.
In 11 starts this season, Mlodzinski has gone 4-3 with a 3.76 ERA, walking 20 and striking out 46 across 55 innings.
Pitchers lost
Ron Marinaccio was claimed off waivers by the Cincinnati Reds, the Pirates announced. Marinaccio appeared in four games for the Pirates while allowing four earned runs in 5 1/3 innings before he was designated for assignment on Monday.
Pittsburgh acquired Marinaccio from the Padres for international signing bonus pool considerations on July 23 and designated Dennis Santana for assignment to clear the necessary roster space.
Mike Clevinger activated his release clause and was released by Triple-A Indianapolis. The right-hander has not pitched for the Major League club this season. He appeared in 17 games with the Indians, pitching to a 4.74 ERA.
Jason Mackey: Jason.Mackey@pirates.com and @JMackey_PGH on X.