The Pirates Just Hit Their First Real Losing Streak

The Pirates dropped their third straight game, falling to the Cardinals again as their first real losing streak of the season begins to take shape. Alex Stumpf breaks down Braxton Ashcraft’s rough outing after being activated from the bereavement list, Hunter Barco eating 4.2 innings after a brutal travel day, and why the Pirates badly needed someone to save a depleted bullpen.

There were at least some offensive signs late, with Oneil Cruz homering after returning from illness, Ryan O’Hearn continuing to hit, and Konnor Griffin putting together one of his better swings with a ninth-inning home run. But the bigger question now is whether the Pirates’ starting rotation can do what this team needs most: prevent a three-game skid from turning into something much worse.

With Bubba Chandler and Paul Skenes lined up next, this is the kind of stretch that can tell us a lot about how real this Pirates team might be.

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