Pittsburgh Pirates' manager Clint Hurdle admits to club’s lack of consistency – MLB News
The Pittsburgh Pirates' manager Clint Hurdle acknowledged on Friday, September 14, of the team’s recent slump, unable to maintain the consistency they had previously achieved. The Pirates have now lost eight consecutive games.
The latest came on Friday when the Chicago Cubs beat them by 7-4, striking another blow to the team which had been fiercely competing for a Wild Card spot. Pirates are now four games behind the St. Louis Cardinals.
What is more, the Pirates are facing increasing challenge from an otherwise comparatively weaker side in the National League Central, the Chicago Cubs. However, there are no indications that the Pirates had taken the Cubs as underdogs entering in this series.
Recent setbacks, big as they are, have not led to any pessimism. Clint Hurdle has a different perspective when it comes to analysing the club’s performance.
“We've gone through a period where the consistency of the execution hasn't been where it needs to be for a championship-caliber club," Pirates' manager Clint Hurdle said. "We've also gone through periods where it was above average, and the completion of tasks -- whether it be offense, defense, fielding -- were very, very solid."
It is pertinent to mention here that in the eight consecutive losses, the Pirates have been defeated five times by the Cubs, something they had probably not anticipated.
Prior to the commencement of the game, the Pirates might have got a much-needed day off, but that did not translate into something good. "[Thursday] was a good day for a day off before you start this last adventure that we're on in the regular season," Hurdle said.
Cubs had previously swept the three-game series against the Pirates. With the four-game series to be played here at Wrigley Field, they seem all set to offset things for the Pirates.
What is unsettling for the Pirates is the fact that they have lost 11 of last 13 games. For a team that has been a competitor for the Wild Card, this is a huge setback. It will be interesting to see if they put things in order in the remaining three games.
Tags: