RECAP - Brewers - 4 / Pirates - 0

G. Cole is STRUGGLING

Pittsburgh Pirates - 0
Milwaukee Brewers - 4

WP - Gallardo
LP - Gerrit Cole

The Pittsburgh Pirates seem content in making their fan base suffer as much as possible before finally breaking the 82 game winning mark, thus ending the 20 year long drought of winning in the Steel City.  I wrote last week that the streak could end in the month of September if the Buccos went on a run winning 8 of their next 10 games.  Plain and simple...that was wishful thinking.  The Pirates have been stumbling, and if they don't get themselves upright quickly they will find themselves playing for a Wild Card game rather than a division title.  It isn't like a division title isn't possible...it certainly is, but the way the Pirates are playing right now how many would put money on them to win the NL Central?  Not many...guarantee that.  Last night Gerrit Cole's early game struggles continued as he gave up 2 runs in 2 innings and 3 in 4 innings total.  Cole eventually settled in and started to pitch better, but with no offensive support this game was lost well before he left the game after 7 1/3 innings.  Cole continues to be hit hard early and often.  Cole gave up 10 hits, 4 runs (3 earned), 1 walk, and only struck out 4.  His ERA is now 3.80 and seems like his stuff is not as effective as when he came up from Indianapolis.  If you ask me, it isn't about fatigue...its about the fact that this rookie pitcher has a "book" out on him now.  No longer is he folling batters with his 97+ mph fastball.  His offspeed stuff isn't where it needs to be, and hitters are sitting on the fastball.  Cole needs to improve for the Pirates to be considered a contender down the stretch.

The offense for the Pirates was dismal as usual, but this time there were new faces that helped.  The Pirates mustered a magical 6 hits, and half of those were by newly acquired catcher, John Buck.  Buck went 3-3 and it was all for naught as only 3 other Pirate hitters registered base hits...McCutchen, Walker, and Marlon Byrd.  The inconsistent Pirates that seem to struggle every other night continued that trend against a solid pitcher in Gallardo, but only the Pirates have the ability to make average pitchers look like Cy Young.  I am sick of writing the same thing about this offense day after day...horrible with runners in scoring position, horrible small ball team, horrible consistency.  Its frustrating to say the least.

Even as horribly as the Pirates have played recently, this weekend series vs the St. Louis Cardinals could completely change things around.  The Pirates are 1.0 game behind the Red Birds with a 3 game set about to start tonight at PNC Park.  If the Pirates could somehow take 2 of 3 from the Cardinals, then do the math...they'd all square with the Cardinals as they travel to Milwaukee and then to St. Louis.  Things could get very interesting for the Pirates here the next few weeks.  Some might even say the division could be won and lost this upcoming 7 day stretch, but I am not going to go that far...not yet.