Pirates Miss Big Opportunity in Wild Card Race With Loss to Angels

PITTSBURGH — Saturday night’s game against the Angels looked like one that would be a win for the Pirates.

The Pirates had their top starter on the mound in Braxton Ashcraft, who entered play with a team-high 14 wins including three in a row. Ashcraft was opposed by left-hander Yusei Kikuchi, who was still in search of his first win of the season and entered play with a 5.65 ERA through nine starts in an injury-shortened season.

In addition to having Ashcraft on the mound, the Pirates entered having won seven of their last 10 games to get to within two games of a .500 record. The Angels, meanwhile, entered having lost 10 of their last 11 games to sink their season record to 53-88, the worst mark in baseball.

But then the game was actually played.

Ashcraft cruised through three innings but allowed a combined three runs between the fourth and fifth frames. Kikuchi blanked the Pirates across six innings as struggles against left-handed starting pitching continued. The final score read 6-1 Angels, who led wire-to-wire.

The loss stings on multiple fronts. The game itself was one the Pirates not only let slip away, but one in which they were never really competitive. Considering where the two teams are in the standings, that’s incredibly disheartening.

With that, the Pirates also squandered a chance to make up ground on three of the four the teams ahead of them battling it out for the third and final wild card spot.

The Diamondbacks came from behind to beat the Astros in 10 innings. The Padres, who entered the day in possession of the final wild card spot, were defeated 5-1 by the Yankees at home. The two National League West foes are now tied for the third spot behind the Cubs and Phillies, both of whom are well above the rest of the pack

The Cardinals blew a 3-0 lead and were defeated 10-7 by the Rockies at Coors Field. The Marlins suffered a 6-5 home loss to the Cubs, falling a game under .500.

The positive news, if there is any, is that the Pirates did not lose ground on three teams they’re chasing. But considering the position that Pittsburgh is in, that’s not good enough.

This was the perfect storm for the Pirates. They had one of the worst teams in baseball in the visiting dugout at PNC Park, and the majority of the teams they’re chasing lost on the same night.

So now, the Pirates are back where the day started but with one less game on the schedule. As it stands, the Pirates are 70-73 and five games back in the wild card race. Had they won, they’d be tied with the Marlins and Cardinals and four games out of a playoff spot.

Pittsburgh can afford to lose maybe four of their final 19 games to even have a shot. And after Sunday’s series finale, the next three series for the Pirates are at the White Sox, at the Cubs and home against the Brewers. Gulp

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