Pirates Hit Their Lowest Point After Brutal Phillies Sweep

The Pittsburgh Pirates are coming off their roughest weekend of the season after getting swept by the Philadelphia Phillies, blowing a 6-0 lead on Friday, getting shut out on Saturday and Sunday, and falling to last place in the NL Central.

On today’s OffBeat, Alex Stumpf breaks down why this series felt different, from the bullpen collapse and Dennis Santana’s struggles to Paul Skenes turning in one of his worst starts of the year. The Pirates also lost Ryan O’Hearn to the injured list with a quad strain, creating a major hole in a top-heavy lineup that was already struggling to find answers.

Alex also looks at what could come next after Nick Yorke was optioned to Triple-A, whether Jhostynxon Garcia, Ronny Simon, or another bat could be part of the next move, and why the upcoming Cardinals series suddenly feels like the biggest test of the Pirates’ season.

Read Alex Stumpf’s work at Book-Rule Bucs: https://bookrulebucs.substack.com/

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