After stranding runners, Pirates searching for spark on offense amid 7-game losing streak

In desperate need of an offensive spark, the Pittsburgh Pirates turned to a top prospect to bring his bat in his major league debut. Henry Davis drilled a double down the third-base line for his first major league hit Monday.

After Andrew McCutchen and Bryan Reynolds drew successive two-out walks to load the bases in the third inning against the Chicago Cubs, Connor Joe came to bat with a chance to cut into a three-run deficit.

Joe hit a line drive off Cubs left-hander Drew Smyly that had a 104.8-mph exit velocity and sailed 319 feet, only to go directly into the glove of left fielder Ian Happ for the final out. That left three baserunners stranded in the Pirates’ 8-0 loss at PNC Park.

The Pirates came away empty in another bases-loaded situation with two outs in the fifth inning, after McCutchen singled and Reynolds and Joe drew walks only for Carlos Santana to pop up to first base.

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“Yeah, everybody is frustrated. We’ve got to go back to the drawing board and figure it out and score runs,” Reynolds said after they went 0 for 6 with runners in scoring position and left 10 men on base. “We just haven’t executed. Connor Joe crushed the ball with the bases loaded. We just didn’t get that to fall. That’s how it goes sometimes. We’re just at the wrong end of it. We’ve just got to put together good at-bats with guys on, find ways.”

The Pirates are scuffling at the plate as their losing streak tied a season worst at seven consecutive games entering Tuesday’s game. Their collective slash line during that stretch is .197/.276/.327, the Pirates are tied for 29th (out of 30 MLB teams) in batting average and their .603 OPS ranks 29th.

Their batting average on balls in play — which removes outcomes not affected by the opposing defense — is an MLB-worst .233 during the losing streak. The Pirates are batting .100 (4 for 40) with runners in scoring position, stranding 43 baserunners over the past seven games.

“We’re looking for that big hit,” Pirates manager Derek Shelton said. “We need that big hit to be able to extend innings out, and we’re not doing that right now.”

The Pirates rank 10th in the majors with 24 walks over that span, including six Monday. Problem is, the top of the order drew five of them in the first five innings, but they came away empty.

Over the past three games, which includes a pair of shutout losses, the Pirates are 0 for 13 with runners in scoring position and have left 21 runners on base. In Sunday’s 5-2 loss at Milwaukee, Jason Delay struck out with the bases loaded in the second inning and hit into a double play with runners on first and second in the seventh inning.

“The guys we have have to figure out a way to get it done,” Shelton said. “I think that’s the most important thing. Right now, we’re not.”

Pirates outfielder Jack Suwinski echoed Reynolds’ frustration, believing they are in need of some luck to go their way or a kick in the backside to provide a boost before their fan base. The Pirates won seven straight from April 17-23, endured a seven-game losing streak from April 30-May 6 and had a six-game winning streak from May 30-June 5.

“We know that we can do it, and we want to,” Suwinski said. “We’ve been in situations similar to this, about a month ago. It’ll come around, that’s for sure. We’re still pulling and grinding and working hard for each other. It’s just a tough stretch right now. We’ll get out of it.”

Shelton said the team’s youth doesn’t help when they get into funks, as the Pirates have a handful of players 24 or younger in Davis, Suwinski, Ji Hwan Bae, Rodolfo Castro and Tucupita Marcano who are regulars and with the injured Oneil Cruz out until at least August.

“When things don’t go well, they try to do too much at times,” Shelton said of the young Pirates. “It’s very easy to say, ‘OK, relax and have a good at-bat.’ It’s a whole heck of a lot harder to actually execute that.”