The Pittsburgh Pirates dropped an 8-4 decision to the Chicago Cubs Wednesday, completing a three-game sweep that left the home crowd restless and the roster’s offensive shortcomings on full display. Chicago struck early with a four-run first inning that forced the Bucs to play catch-up the rest of the afternoon, and while Joey Bart’s three-run homer offered a brief rally, Pittsburgh never sustained pressure long enough to seriously threaten a comeback.
Pitching held up in stretches but was undone by bursts of Cubs offense and a pair of timely rallies. Johan Oviedo worked through five innings but surrendered the early crooked numbers, and the bullpen was unable to fully halt Chicago’s momentum, the decisive damage coming in the sixth when a string of hits turned a one-run game into a multi-run cushion for the Cubbies. Defensive lapses and stranded baserunners amplified the damage, turning what might have been a manageable deficit into a late-game uphill battle.
Offense remains the clearest structural problem. The Pirates collected 10 hits and found the scoreboard, but production was too concentrated and came in fits rather than sustained innings. Too many lineup spots are occupied by hitters who can’t consistently reach base; several regulars, including Jack Suwinski, are hitting at or below the .200 mark this season, and when a lineup contains multiple sub-.200 bats it becomes all but impossible to string together rallies against major-league pitching.
Individual bright spots were scant. Bart’s homer was a needed jolt and Andrew McCutchen drew a bases-loaded walk that briefly closed the gap, but other everyday players went quiet at inopportune moments and late-inning bench options failed to spark the offense. Jack Suwinski’s late appearance ended in a strikeout that felt emblematic of the team’s broader issues at the plate: an inability to put consistent pressure on opposing pitchers and convert scoring opportunities.
If the Pirates hope to avoid more sweeps and climb the standings, they must address the roster’s offensive deficiencies. That means fewer sub-.200 hitters in the everyday lineup, better situational hitting with runners in scoring position, and a clearer plan to replace or retool spots that are producing little offensively. The 8-4 final score is the headline; the deeper problem is a lineup that too often looks incapable of sustaining innings or answering an early deficit.
The Pirates host the Oakland A’s for a three-game series starting on Friday.