MINNEAPOLIS -- The Pirates played their way back into the postseason race last month. They'll have to do it again after two days that amounted to one missed opportunity at Target Field.
The Pirates handed a lead to Chris Archer on Wednesday afternoon but lost, 6-4, to the Twins as they were swept in a brief, two-game series. They also gave Jameson Taillon an early lead on Tuesday, only to lose, 5-2. The Bucs finished a three-city road trip with four wins and five losses, and they've now lost 11 of 19 games since their 11-game winning streak ended.
Pittsburgh headed home on Wednesday night only one game above .500. The next stretch of 16 games already loomed large on their schedule, but it's become even more critical. Between Thursday and Sept. 3, the Pirates will play five straight series against four teams they're chasing: the Cubs, Braves (twice), Brewers and Cardinals.

"If there's not urgency now, then we're in the wrong spot. I think everybody here knows it's urgent," second baseman Josh Harrison said. "But within that urgency, you can't press. You can't beat yourself down, because that's when you turn things into a mountain. You've just got to keep coming to play, show up. As far as urgency, we know it's urgent."
• Bell's muscular dad was not happy about borderline strike call on his son
The gap between the Pirates and their competitors would be smaller if not for the last two days. On Wednesday, Archer pounded the strike zone with a four-pitch mix and struck out seven but struggled to efficiently put away hitters. He got on a roll, retiring 10 straight and striking out the side in the fifth inning, but he did not record an out in the sixth.

"I felt good, had good stuff," Archer said. "But in some key moments, I have to be able to put guys away. I didn't do that today."
Eddie Rosario led off the sixth with a single to center, where Adam Frazier -- filling in for Starling Marte (illness) -- didn't field the ball cleanly and slipped, allowing Rosario to take second. Jorge Polanco then drove in Rosario with a ground-ball single to right, ending Archer's outing.
Reliever Edgar Santana then gave up the lead on a double by Max Kepler and John Forsythe's two-run single up the middle. Light-hitting catcher Bobby Wilson padded the Twins' lead in the seventh with a solo homer off reliever Keone Kela.
Archer was charged with four earned runs on six hits over five-plus innings in his third start for the Pirates.
"Everything felt good," Archer said, "but I'd rather put up zeros and feel bad than feel good and give up some runs. … We hold ourselves to a high standard as a pitching staff here. I've already learned that. Giving up a couple runs is all right, but giving up four or five is unacceptable."

The Pirates rallied in the fourth inning to turn a 2-1 deficit into a 4-2 lead. Elias Diaz homered to left and Gregory Polanco punched a two-run single to right off Twins starter Jose Berrios, who worked only 3 2/3 innings.
Pittsburgh had plenty of other chances to regain the lead. The Pirates left 12 runners on base, one shy of tying their nine-inning season-high mark, and finished 2-for-15 with runners in scoring position.

"One of the bigger parts of the game was the left-on-base totals for both teams," manager Clint Hurdle said. "They were able to maximize opportunities and score guys when they got on, and we left 12 at the end of the day, which usually turns out to be problematic.
"We didn't win two games here. We had a chance to push over .500 on the road. We did not do it. Now it's time to go home. We're going to play a good team. We're going to play the team on top of the division. It starts tomorrow night. I know we're looking forward to that."
MOMENT THAT MATTERED
Stranded: Players, coaches and managers often talk about the importance of scoring with a runner on third and less than two outs. The Pirates couldn't capitalize on that situation in the third inning. Corey Dickerson led off with a double and reached third on Frazier's groundout, but Gregory Polanco popped out and, after Josh Bell walked, Francisco Cervelli struck out to leave Dickerson at third.
"We had our chances, too. Guys had good at-bats. Just [didn't get] timely hits, sometimes, but that's the name of the game," Harrison said. "We've got a chance to go home, and that's what we've got to take care of."

SOUND SMART
• This was the Pirates' seventh time being swept this season, but their first series sweep since July 2-4 at Dodger Stadium.
• The Pirates had been 44-18 when scoring first, 52-17 when scoring at least four runs and 39-8 when out-hitting their opponent this season. They did all three on Wednesday and lost.
HE SAID IT
"The process is great, but the only thing that really matters is the results. Today, I couldn't have had a better process. We lost. Just get back out there in a couple days, continue to hone, continue to sharpen and look forward to having a lot better outing in five days." -- Archer, on his start
UP NEXT
The Pirates will start a critical stretch of their schedule when they return home to PNC Park on Thursday to begin a four-game series against the Cubs at 7:05 p.m. ET. The Pirates trail the Cubs by nine games in the National League Central. Right-hander Ivan Nova will start the opener against veteran lefty Jonathan Lester.