PIRATES

While the Pirates still possess an offense that ranks near the top of Major League Baseball's leaderboards in a number of different offensive categories, the offensive performances over the last four games haven't made enough of a difference.

Including their five-hit showing in tonight's 12-3 loss to the Dodgers at PNC Park, one in which 17 straight batters were retired between Jared Triolo's second-inning single and eighth-inning walk, the Pirates have now been limited to three or fewer runs in each game during their current four-game losing streak. 

They are now 7-19 on the season when scoring four of fewer runs in a game. To put that into perspective, the Pirates are 27-14 when the offense generates four-plus runs in a game. They are averaging just over five runs per game, a mark that ranks sixth among MLB teams. 

"This one — tough one," Don Kelly said of a game in which Bryan Reynolds and Ryan O'Hearn homered to put the Pirates ahead 2-0 in the first inning. "We weren't really good offensively tonight. I think that looking at the Atlanta Braves series, we got guys on base, and again, it was that elusive big hit that we've talked about when we haven't been able to score. It's something that we need to find a way to come up with that big hit, whether it's with two outs or even before that. It was nice to see the good swings from Bryan and Ryan tonight to hit the long ball. We just need to keep the line moving throughout. When we're good and we're putting up runs, it's 1-9, everybody contributing and keeping the line moving, not just going up there and relying on the home run."