The Pirates fell to the Washington Nationals and drop to 8-30 since All-Star Break with the 7-1 decision Thursday night at PNC Park. Starting Pirates pitcher Steven Brault got no support from Pirates hitters, who managed to score only on Adam Frazier’s home run in the third inning.
- The Pirates have scored 14 runs in the past eight games.
- They have lost 30 of 38 since the All-Star break, 75 overall.
- In five of the past six games, they have scored one or zero runs.
The Pittsburgh Pirates host the Cincinnati Reds to begin a three-game series tonight. First pitch is 7:05pm.
(Saturday’s game also has a 7:05pm start time. WISR pre-game at 6:40pm. Sunday’s game begins at 1:35pm. WISR carries the Neil Huntington Show at 12:35pm. )
The Pirates also cut ties with catcher Francisco Cervelli.
The Pirates had been playing without Cervelli since he went on the concussion injured list May 26, and it was common knowledge he would not be re-signed after his contract expired at the end of this season.
Cervelli, who caught 427 games for the team over most of the past five seasons. His release leaves Starling Marte and Francisco Liriano as the only players in the clubhouse who were with the Pirates’ most recent playoff team in 2015.
Officially, the Pirates requested unconditional release waivers for the purpose of giving Cervelli, 33, his unconditional release. The move ends the Pirates career of one of the team’s most popular players inside and outside the clubhouse.
The Baltimore Orioles set a record they don’t want to have last night breaking the previous mark for most home runs allowed by a team in a season. The 259th home run given up this season by the Orioles was hit by the Tampa Bay Rays’ and former Pirate Austin Meadows in the third inning of the Rays’ 5-2 win.The previous record of 258 homers given up had been held by the 2016 Cincinnati Reds. The Orioles have 34 games left to give up more homers, and at least four other MLB teams are also on track to break the 2016 Reds’ previous record this season.