Priester's start not enough, Pirates clinch losing season with 82nd loss

CINCINNATI -- The Pirates were able to stave off loss No. 82 for longer than many expected coming into the year, but hit the tragic number Sunday afternoon at Great American BallPark, losing 4-2.

With the loss, the Pirates are officially eliminated from postseason contention and clinched their fifth losing season. It is also their 27th losing season in their last 31 years.

But at the risk of devaluing another season of more losses than wins, this doesn't seem to be as gloomy as years past. Almost all of the talk this past week has been centered around the team taking the next step forward and competing in 2024. The club has played well of late, going 33-28 over their last 61 games, which includes road series wins against the Cubs and Reds this road trip, both of whom were playing for their playoff lives. On Saturday, the team pulled off the largest comeback in the franchise's history.

It's why, when asked if 82 was just a number or if it meant more, Derek Shelton said, "We’re getting better. We’re playing better over the month. So, no."

"I think there’s a lot of positivity throughout the locker room," Jason Delay said. "We feel like we’re in a very good spot going into next season to make that playoff push. We feel like all of the pieces are in the locker room. And all this experience that guys are getting, it’s just going to help us next year. Good or bad, learning from all the situations that we get put in throughout the rest of the year, it’s only going to help."

But in the limited scope of just one game, the Pirates missed out on chances to prevent that 82nd loss another day.

After jumping ahead 2-0 in the fifth on a Jack Suwinski solo shot and a Delay single, the Reds broke up Quinn Priester's no-hit bid to lead off the sixth, and then TJ Friedl broke up his shutout bid shortly after with a two-run homer to right-center:

"He just beat us on it," Delay said. "We even talked about how we wanted to attack him that inning. I told him that I thought backdoor spin was a really good option. He got it. He clipped it."

Priester picked up his first major-league quality start by allowing just those two runs over his six innings of work, walking five and striking out four, but was more somber than usual postgame.

"I think it was a good day," Priester said. "We're seeing the progress in what we keep working on. Feeling more and more confident each outing. Every time I'm learning. Today is a good first quality one, but I need to keep us in that game better. Keep us ahead there."

Friedl would again strike in the seventh, lining the eventual winning single off of Jose Hernandez with two outs and first base open. Friedl was a thorn in the Pirates' side all series, homering and picking up multiple hits in all three games, but Shelton wanted his rookie lefty to face him.

"We trust Jose," Shelton said. "He just left a ball in the middle of the plate."

"He’s a really good player, and he’s the guy who beat us today," Delay said. "He kind of beat us all series."

The Pirates had opportunities to pull back in front in the seventh and eighth, but left two runners on base both times.

"We’ve done a really good job over the last probably 15 days capitalizing on those," Shelton said. "Today, we did not capitalize when we had guys on base."

The Pirates went down in order in the top of the ninth to clinch the 82nd loss.

Going based off of the energy in the clubhouse these past few months and the talk about competing in 2024, there is a chance that Sunday could be the last 82nd loss for a while. There is certainly optimism within the organization that it will be the case. 

Time will tell.

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THE HIGHLIGHTS

THE INJURIES

• 60-day injured list: SS Oneil Cruz (ankle), RHP JT Brubaker (elbow), LHP Jarlin Garcia (elbow), INF Tucupita Marcano (knee), LHP Angel Perdomo (elbow), RHP Vince Velasquez (elbow), DH/OF Andrew McCutchen (Achilles)

THE LINEUPS

Shelton's card:

1. Connor Joe, 1B
2. Bryan Reynolds, LF
3. Ke'Bryan Hayes, 3B
4. Miguel Andújar, RF
5. Jared Triolo, 2B
6. Jack Suwinski, CF
7. Liover Peguero, SS
8. Henry Davis, DH
9. Jason Delay, C

And for David Bell's Reds:

1. Jonathan India, 2B
2. TJ Friedl, CF
3. Spencer Steer, LF
4. Jake Fraley, DH
5. Christian Encarnancion-Strand, 3B
6. Joey Votto, 1B
7. Tyler Stephenson, C
8. Elly De La Cruz, SS
9. Will Benson, RF

THE SCHEDULE

The Pirates get a day off Monday before they head to Philadelphia for their final road series of the season. Mitch Keller (13-9, 4.25) will get the ball in game one against Aaron Nola (12-9, 4.57). DK will have you covered.

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