WASHINGTON -- The Pirates’ losing streak was pushed to eight games Monday night, losing to the Nationals, 3-2.
If you missed it but had caught other games during this streak, then you already have seen most of what happened at Nationals Park.
The attention to detail goes down to Clay Holmes again being the reliever who took the loss.
Following a terrible series in Milwaukee where he allowed six runs over one inning and two outings, in which he took the loss in one and surrendered the Brewers’ insurance runs in the other, Holmes was brought into the seventh inning of a 2-2 ball game.
Normally, Holmes would be a logical choice. He had to wear a bad outing against the Reds at the start of the season, but after that had established himself as one of the Pirates’ most reliable relievers.
It’s why Derek Shelton went to him with the game on the line, even after being rocked twice in the previous three days.
“Not so much trying to get him back on the horse. Just [showing] complete faith in him,” Shelton said on the decision. “He’s thrown the ball well. He’s done a nice job for us. We really like the matchups with where we were at at the bottom... He left one up to [Kyle] Schwarber.”
And that one he left up flew out:
That would be all the offense the Nationals would need to hang on and win, partially because the Pirates’ offense again failed to come through in key situations.
Kevin Newman carried the offensive load, homering in the second inning and providing the only Pirates hit with a runner in scoring position. While it did not score Jacob Stallings from second base in the sixth inning, it did set the stage for an Erik González sacrifice fly.
The Pirates came up empty the other six times they had a runner in scoring position.
So if you can’t score ‘em, you have to try to prevent ‘em from scoring, which is why Shelton gave starter JT Brubaker the hook after just five innings and 71 pitches.
“I thought JT was good,” Shelton said on the decision. “It had nothing to do with him.”
This comes one day after Shelton pulled Wil Crowe at the first sign of trouble in the sixth inning against the Brewers, a decision that ultimately backfired.
So why the quick axe again?
“We liked the matchups we got with Strat [Chris Stratton] coming into the game,” Shelton explained.
Stratton did post a quick zero in the sixth, but since the pitcher spot led off the sixth inning, he was quickly pinch-hit for, setting the stage for Holmes.
Brubaker didn’t take the hook personally, acknowledging that Josh Bell had walked and hit a crisp ground ball in his two times up.
“I felt confident in attacking him, but based on the previous ABs, it’s just situational,” Brubaker said.
It was a good teammate answer, but Brubaker didn’t hide that he didn’t tire. After all, he only threw 71 pitches.
Though he has not been pushed much all year. He has only thrown 90 pitches in an outing just once this year. Pitcher health and work management is paramount, but at some point he’s going to have to test deeper waters. Same goes for the other starters. The Pirates have only had a starter go at least six innings 11 times this season, the fewest in the Majors.
After the Pirates’ off-days Thursday and Monday, they will then play 20 straight games before the All-Star break. The bullpen can’t continue to be taxed like it has through that stretch.
The bullpen has been solid for the Pirates most of the year, so the recurrent struggles are surprising. But when you couple it with short starts and a necessity of pitching with little wriggle room on offense, it’s an expression.
The goal of this year was to get better every day, but the last eight have been covering the same ground again and again. That long-term goal will ultimately determine the success or failure of the organization.
The immediate goal, however, is breaking out of this losing streak.
“You shower it off, flush it, come back and get back to work,” Newman said. “Really that's all we can do. We can go home and think of what we can do better, but once we sleep it off, we sleep it off. Come back tomorrow and do our routines and go through our work. Go out there and compete."
MORE FROM THE GAME
• For Brubaker, it was mostly smooth sailing outside of the third inning. There, he allowed all four of his hits and both of his runs allowed on the night.
Outside of that frame, he was using all five of his pitches effectively, especially the slider, which he said thought had better depth Monday.
Normally, that would mean more whiffs and strikeouts, but Brubaker fanned just one batter in his five innings, instead getting more ground outs.
"We knew that they were a really aggressive team," he explained. "They were going to swing at the ball early. On their side, they probably knew I was a heavy dose of slider, so I was looking to hit the slider and keep their hands back. And I was throwing just good enough sliders to hit off the end, miss barrels and get ground balls."
• Going into play Monday, Newman's .251 slugging percentage was the worst among qualified hitters, and his .497 OPS was just two points ahead of Jackie Bradley Jr. for the worst in baseball.
So running into a Jon Lester cutter is a sight for sore eyes:
Crushed by Kevin. pic.twitter.com/1LhqTNS9dI
— Pirates (@Pirates) June 14, 2021
"Compact, short swing," Newman said. "Just barrel to the ball. It's what I've been trying to do and trying to repeat. Thankfully got a hold of that one."
Shelton opined postgame that he thinks Newman is seeing the ball better of late. If that's the case, it could help the shortstop try to rekindle some of that spring training magic.
"Right now, my mentality is just what can I do to help the team," Newman said. "Having good at-bats, being a tough out and putting good swings on the ball is really what I bring to the table right now. I'm just trying to keep doing that and hopefully they just start to fall my way."
• Colin Moran didn't get the start Monday after being lifted early Sunday with a back injury, but Shelton said that he was doing better Monday and that he his day-to-day going forward.
• Monday was Bell's first game back against his former club, and there were a lot of hugs and catching up going round during batting practice.

ALEX STUMPF / DKPS
Left to right: Chad Kuhl, Josh Bell, Gregory Polanco, Jordy Mercer and Erik González.
"I will cheer for him every day except against the Pirates," Shelton said before the game. "Really enjoyed Josh's time here, not only on the field but off the field. He was a really good ambassador for the Pirates and for the city of Pittsburgh."
I have a separate story on Bell, Josh Harrison and Jordy Mercer and the Pirates reunion going on in the Nationals' infield.
THE ESSENTIALS
Boxscore
Scoreboard
Standings
Statistics
THE LINEUPS
Shelton's card:
Adam Frazier, 2B
Ke'Bryan Hayes, 3B
Bryan Reynolds, CF
Jacob Stallings, C
Phillip Evans, RF
Kevin Newman, SS
Erik González, 1B
Ka'ai Tom, LF
JT Brubaker, P
And for Dave Martinez's Nationals:
Kyle Schwaber, LF
Trea Turner, SS
Juan Soto, RF
Josh Bell, 1B
Josh Harrison, 2B
Yan Gomes, C
Starlin Castro, 3B
Victor Robles, CF
Jon Lester, P
THE SCHEDULE
The Pirates and Nationals will square off for game two Tuesday. It's a battle of a couple of southpaws, as Tyler Anderson (3-6, 4.52) takes on Patrick Corbin (3-5, 6.21). First pitch will be at 7:05 p.m.