Pirates fall to 0-15 in sweep situations in stunning collapse taken in Miami (Pirates)

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Lewis Díaz and the Marlins celebrate their walkoff win.

MIAMI -- 0-for-15.

For the 15th time this season, the Pirates tried to get their first sweep of the season. And on Sunday at loanDepot Park, they lost, this time 6-5 in 10 innings against the Marlins.

You've read this story before. But when Hoy Park pounced on this Dylan Floro fastball that cut back over the plate and put it in his team's bullpen...

...It looked like the streak was finally over. They now had a 4-3 lead and their most reliable healthy pitcher, Chris Stratton, coming to the mound.

And he fell one strike short when Bryan De La Cruz ripped a two-out, two-strike single to center to tie it.

After retaking the lead in the top of the 10th on a Ben Gamel sacrifice fly, Derek Shelton turned to recently-converted reliever Chad Kuhl to try to close it out.

He didn't get past the first hitter, Lewin Díaz:

 "Today’s a tough one because we had the lead twice and ended up giving it back," Shelton said.

"They’ve been really good for us," Shelton added about Stratton and Kuhl shortly after. "They’re gonna continue to be really good for us. But you can’t expect guys to be perfect."

The loss puts the Pirates at 56-93, meaning they will have the win the majority of their final 13 games of the season or suffer a 100-loss season.

"It’s a bummer," Cole Tucker said. "There’s a lot of opportunity to win and our record would look at lot different [if we did]."

And while the Pirates have done well in close games during this 8-4 stretch of four straight series wins -- the later of which being a feat they haven't accomplished since their 11-game winning streak in July of 2018 -- those sour finishes have added up to an unmistakable black eye in a difficult season.

Since the start of the modern era in 1900, every Pirates team had at least one sweep in a series of at least two games. The last team in franchise history to not do so were the 1890 Alleghenys, a team that went 23-112-2. 

They'll get four more tries to not be forever linked to that 131-year-old team, starting with the Reds in Cincinnati Monday.

MORE FROM THE GAME

• Though he would get a little shakier as the game progressed, Max Kranick started strong and turned in a good start, even if he allowed three runs over five innings of work.

He also struck out six consecutive batters, becoming the first Pirate since Francisco Liriano in 2013 to accomplish that, and had a career-high 19 whiffs. The last Pirate to pick up that many whiffs was JT Brubaker on April 30.

All of his strikeouts on the day and most of those whiffs came in the third inning when he was in a groove.

"[Against] those hitters, I was in control," Kranick said. "I was getting on the mound and getting back at it. It’s I think a combination of all those things, but I think my pace definitely stood out."

But in the fourth, Joe Panik slapped a high fastball into the gap for a two-run double, and Jesus Sánchez drove in another the following inning on a sacrifice fly, following back-to-back hits.

For a young starter trying to close out a season where he started in Class AA Altoona and made appearances in the majors, it's that inconsistency that stood out compared to his recent starts.

"The past couple starts in Indianapolis, we really worked hard on honing in my delivery," Kranick said. "I feel a little frustrated because I kind of got away from that in the fourth inning when things got slow. I kind of got out of whack there. That's something I need to change from pitch to pitch. Instead, it took me probably two batters. I need to realize that sooner and nip that in the bud and continue to roll."

• Kranick was activated off the taxi squad before the game, taking the place of Bryse Wilson, who was placed on the 10-day injured list with a left hamstring strain. Wilson suffered the injury after hitting the first base bag hard in the fifth inning Saturday while trying to beat out an infield single. He said afterwards he felt better because he received treatment, but the Pirates made the move to rest him for a bit regardless.

There's still enough time in the season that Wilson could theoretically do a 10-day stint on the injured list and still make one more start.

• On Saturday, I wrote about Park and Tucker, and the two finished off much-needed strong series. Tucker had a pair of hits, doubled, stole a base and scored three runs. Park played the would-be hero in the ninth and drew a walk.

• In minor-league news, sources tell Jarrod Prugar and myself that eight players are being promoted from Class AA Altoona to Class AAA Indianapolils now that the Curve's season is over. They are:

SS Oneil Cruz, RHP Roansy Contreras, OF Canaan Smith-Njigba, OF Cal Mitchell, 1B Mason Martin, INF Rodolfo Castro, RHP Yerry De Los Santos and RHP Osvaldo Bido

Indianapolis has not announced any corresponding roster moves. Their season will continue through the end of the major league season on Oct. 3.

THE ESSENTIALS

Boxscore
• Live file
Scoreboard
Standings
Statistics

THE HIGHLIGHTS

"  "

THE LINEUPS

Shelton's card:

1. Ke'Bryan Hayes, 3B
2. Kevin Newman, SS
3. Ben Gamel, CF
4. Colin Moran, 1B
5. Jacob Stallings, C
6. Cole Tucker, RF
7. Anthony Alford, LF
8. Hoy Park, 2B
9. Max Kranick, RHP

And for Don Mattingly's Marlins:

1. Jazz Chisholm, Jr., SS
2. Bryan De La Cruz, CF
3. Jesús Sánchez, RF
4. Lewis Brinson, LF
5. Lewin Díaz, 1B
6. Joe Panik, 2B
7. Alex Jackson, C
8. Eddy Alvarez, 3B
9. Sandy Alcantara, RHP

THE SYSTEM

 Indianapolis
Altoona
Greensboro
Bradenton

THE SCHEDULE

The Pirates are heading to Cincinnati to start a three game series with the Reds. Dillon Peters (1-2, 2.66) will take on Vladimir Gutierrez (9-6, 4.25), with first pitch coming at 6:40 p.m. I've got you covered for all three legs of this road trip.

THE CONTENT

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