Thankfully, Donaldson vs. Musgrove ends ☕ taken in Atlanta (Courtesy of StepOutside.org)

ATLANTA -- The cloud hanging over the Pirates right now is so dark that it warrants a severe thunderstorm warning.

The Pirates’ losing streak reached seven games Thursday when they fell to the Braves, 6-5, at SunTrust Park. The Pirates also dropped to 0-7 on their road trip after being swept in the four-game series. You can read more about the game here.

However, there was a silver lining Thursday. Not much of one, mind you, but something.

There was no continuation of Monday night’s foolishness between the Pirates and Braves. For that, we should all be thankful.

As has been written to death over the past three days, Joe Musgrove and Josh Donaldson got into a staredown Monday night after the Pirates right-hander grazed the Braves third baseman with a pitch in the first inning of the series opener.

They began shouting at each other and both benches emptied. Except for a shove of Elias Diaz by Donaldson, nothing happened. That is how almost every baseball “fight” turns out.

However, home plate umpire Brian Gorman made the hasty decision to eject both Musgrove and Donaldson.

When the Pirates decided to bring the big right-hander back to start Thursday’s series finale after Jordan Lyles went on the injured list with left hamstring tightness, social media clamored for Musgrove-Donaldson II. But it never happened.

They faced each other three times. Musgrove struck out Donaldson in the first inning and got him to ground out in the third. Donaldson then hit an RBI single during a five-run fifth inning that turned the Pirates’ 2-1 lead into a 6-2 deficit.

There was no trace of any animosity, just as Musgrove predicted on Wednesday when I asked about the chances of the continuation of tensions.

Thankfully, this thing can be put to rest. If Gorman had just showed some restraint, it would have been a non-story forgotten about by Tuesday afternoon.

• Musgrove pulled off a rare feat Thursday by starting twice in the same series. That, of course, was made possible because of Monday’s ejection.

The last Pirates pitcher to start twice in the same series was Joe Gibbon in 1963, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. He faced the then-Houston Colt .45s on Aug. 9 in the first game of a doubleheader at Forbes Field, then again on Aug. 11.

Like Musgrove, Gibbon did not make it out of the first inning in his first start. However, he pitched eight innings two days later. Musgrove, on the other hand, didn’t get through the fifth inning.

Yes, I could make a crack about pitchers no longer being like the moundsmen of yore. Alas, it was too gorgeous of an afternoon in Atlanta to be grumpy.

• Last summer, I had an opportunity to see my great nephew play in a T-ball game.

It reminded me of watching the Pirates in some regards, especially when it came to baserunning. The kids just kept running until someone tagged them out.

The Pirates still make their share of blunders on the basepaths. However, bad baserunning has become an epidemic throughout the major leagues.

Still, it’s only fair to give the Pirates credit for dramatically increasing their success rate on stolen base attempts this season despite Kevin Newman being thrown out trying to swipe second in the first inning, ending a streak of 11 successful attempts in a row.

Overall, they are 28 of 35 (80 percent).

Starling Marte has been particularly good, going 11 for 12 just one year after tying for the major-league lead with 14 caught stealings in 47 attempts.

I took a stroll down to main concourse of the ballpark before Wednesday night’s game to see Monument Garden, which is highlighted by a massive statue of Hank Aaron. I’m showing my age here, but Hammerin’ Hank was one of my childhood heroes.

The statue is what grabs your attention, but there are also plaques representing each member of the Braves’ Hall of Fame. There are also plenty of items from the franchise’s history, including the knee brace Sid Bream wore when he slid home with the winning run in Game 7 of the National League Championship Series against the Pirates.

Sorry to stir up bad memories. Really, though, is thinking back to when Sid slid that much more painful than watching the current Pirates’ pitching staff?

It’s a very impressive display and got me thinking about when PNC Park was in the planning stages. The ballpark was originally supposed to feature what would have been the creation of a Pirates Hall of Fame.

Alas, that idea died because the Pirates said they didn’t have money. That was too bad.

Despite these horrific games the last three weeks, the Pirates have a rich history. It would be nice if they put it on public display.

However, it’s unlikely the idea will come to fruition anytime soon. Kevin McClatchy wasn’t willing to spend for it and it seems highly unlikely that Bob Nutting will, either.

The Pirates and Marlins open a three-game series Friday night at Miami. It’s kind of hard to get excited about that matchup.

However, it will be good to catch up with Neil Walker, who is in his first season with the Marlins. Walker is the perfect veteran to have on a rebuilding club because of his personality and work ethic. The young players can learn about being a professional by watching how Walker conducts himself on and off the field.

Here is hoping the Marlins deal Walker to a contender before the July 31 non-waiver trading deadline. He is 33 years old and doesn’t have many good seasons left.

Walker has yet to play on a team that has made it past the Division Series round. It would be great to see him land with a club that has a legitimate chance to reach the World Series.

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