Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Rough Seas Ahead

The Pittsburgh Pirates shocked viewers and analysts last month by leading the NL Central. They stayed above .500 for weeks, boasting a young roster with players who aren't exactly household names. So what happened recently?

The Pirates are back below .500 and, although they snapped a seven-game losing streak with a win in San Francisco August 8, they were swept by the Brewers two weeks ago. Andrew McCutchen is hitting .274, above the league average, but not powering enough to compete with rivals in Milwaukee or St. Louis.

A four-game series against St. Louis starts this weekend, and the Pirates can only hope to save face at this point in the season. Playoff contention is a newly dashed dream that didn't seem too far-fetched earlier this summer. In the blink of an eye, post-season hopes fade as the longest season in the sports world navigates toward a close.