Pittsburgh Pirates’ Offense Hits The Wall, But What More Can We Expect?

Aug 10, 2014; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates right fielder Gregory Polanco (left) and center fielder Starling Marte (6) celebrate a two run home run by Polanco against the San Diego Padres during the first inning at PNC Park. San Diego won 8-2. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Charlie Mortonended a run of seven consecutive quality starts for the Pittsburgh Pirates when he allowed five runs through five innings ofSunday’s loss to the San Diego Padres.

Despite that, the real reason the Pirates lost their first home series since mid-June was a lack of attack.

We shouldn’t be surprised by this withAndrew McCutchenandNeil Walkercombining for one at-bat over the weekend, and withPedro Alvarezstill stuck in positional limbo.

Still, when the Pirates’ ‘B’ lineup racked up 14 runs in back-to-back wins against the Marlins last week, it was natural to dream that this depleted club could at least do well enough to take a series from the Padres before the schedule toughened.

That didn’t happen, as the Bucs (62-55) scored five total runs in dropping two out of three to last-place San Diego. Sure, Saturday’s 2-1 loss could’ve easily gone the other way with a productive out or two in the pivotal eighth inning, but the fact remains that Pittsburgh’s offense was too quiet overall to expect a series victory.

But were the Pirates that poor at the plate vs. the Padres?

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They reached base at a .340 rate for the three games, which is better than their MLB-leading .332 on-base percentage for the season. It seems that the Bucs fell victim to poor hit sequencing, exemplified by that fateful eighth inning Saturday, when they failed to cash in a single run from a second-and-third, no-out situation.

Another reason to consider the weekend dud an aberration: the Pirates have hit .253 with a .717 OPS (on-base plus slugging) with runners in scoring position this year. Both numbers areslightly above MLB average, a welcome departure from last season, when failures in the clutch limited the offense.

Furthermore,Gregory PolancoandStarling Martecombined to reach base nine times in 24 plate appearances (.375 OBP) against San Diego, a promising sign if McCutchen and Walker are going to be out much longer. Anything the Pirates get from the likes ofJayson NixandMichael Martinezis a bonus, but their young outfielders have to contribute big time in the final seven weeks.

Obviously the Padres deserve some credit for hemming in the Bucs’ bats, and another strong pitching club comes to town next: Detroit. The Tigers will be missing the underappreciatedAnibal Sanchezfor the upcoming four-game interleague showdown, but they’ll still bring startersJustin VerlanderandMax Scherzerto PNC Park, along with the maturingRick Porcello.

It’s tough to be too confident after this weekend, but without McCutchen and Walker, the Pirates are hitting about as well as can be expected.