'Everybody is frustrated': Pirates suffer 6th consecutive loss, 2nd straight series sweep

After racing out to the best record in baseball through the first 11 games, the Pittsburgh Pirates look lost amid a freefall that saw them suffer a sixth consecutive loss and second straight series sweep.

The home clubhouse was mostly quiet and subdued after a 6-1 loss to the Boston Red Sox on Sunday afternoon before 18,814 at PNC Park, save a few private conversations between players or players and coaches in the corners. Otherwise, there wasn’t much to say.

“Really, the same as (Saturday),” Pirates outfielder Bryan Reynolds said of the mood. “Everybody is frustrated.”

The Pirates (11-11) have dropped nine of their past 11 games after a 9-2 start, including a three-game series sweep at the New York Mets. During their six-game losing streak, they have scored one run in four games and have a total of nine runs. In four of the six games, the Pirates blew an early lead.

Pirates manager Derek Shelton described this loss as a “sloppy game” where the team “didn’t play well.” And that was being kind. The Pirates committed two errors in the field and made two mistakes on the basepaths in falling to a Red Sox team that is missing All-Star third baseman Rafael Devers and shortstop Trevor Story. On top of that, Boston played a handful of Pirates castoffs, including catchers Reese McGuire and Tyler Heineman, infielder Pablo Reyes and reliever Chase Anderson.

The Pirates are hoping to stop their skid Monday, when they open NL Central Division play by hosting the first-place Milwaukee Brewers (13-6) for a four-game series.

“We have to play the game. It’s already tough. We’re making it tougher,” Pirates left-hander Martin Perez said. “I think we have to change our body language a little bit and enjoy the game. We’re putting too much pressure on. We’re not getting the results that we’re looking for. We have to come in tomorrow, go out there and enjoy it and try to play better. … As a group, we have to turn the page. It was a bad week for us. We have to start on the right foot tomorrow.”

Perez was willing to shoulder his share of the blame after an uneven performance in which he allowed four earned runs on six hits and four walks while tying his season high with seven strikeouts. It was the most runs and walks allowed this season by Perez, who also had the shortest outing of his five starts.

“That’s the first time, even going back to spring training, that we saw him not be efficient,” Shelton said. “He just did not look like he was in a rhythm all game at all. He’s one of those guys, he gets in a rhythm and he goes. With the exception of the second inning, when he threw 10 pitches, he did not have a rhythm today.”

Perez walked two in the first inning but left runners on the corners by striking out Connor Wong to end the frame. It provided a glimpse of what type of game it would be for the Pirates.

The Pirates scored first, as Connor Joe hit a leadoff double to the North Side Notch, advanced to third on a Reynolds groundout and scored on a sacrifice fly to right by Ke’Bryan Hayes for a 1-0 lead.

The Red Sox responded the second time around the order with four consecutive hits, with Rob Refsnyder driving in one run with a line-drive double to left and Wilyer Abreu (3 for 5) driving in another on a single to center for a 2-1 lead.

Perez struck out Wong and Bobby Dalbec to prevent further damage.

Perez also escaped the fourth without allowing a run, despite the Red Sox loading the bases on a Reyes double, Heineman getting hit by a pitch and Jarren Duran drawing a full-count walk. Refsnyder hit a pop fly that looked like it would drop in shallow center, but second baseman Jared Triolo chased it down to make an over-the-shoulder catch for the third out.

The Pirates weren’t so fortunate in the fifth. After Abreu hit a leadoff double and Wong drew a walk, Perez was replaced by Ryder Ryan. After getting a lineout to third, Ryan hit Perez with a pitch to load the bases. McGuire dropped a pinch-hit bloop single inside the right-field line to score two runs to increase Boston’s lead to 4-1.

In the sixth, Refsnyder reached on catcher’s interference by Joey Bart, stole second base and scored on Abreu’s single to right to stretch it to 5-1. Pirates catchers have yet to throw out a base stealer this season.

The Pirates, by contrast, twice ran into outs because of bad bounces. In the fourth, Hayes singled, and shortstop Enmanuel Valdez’s throw ricocheted off the wall to Reyes, who threw Hayes out at second. After Hayes singled to start the sixth, Jack Suwinski hit a sharp grounder down the first-base line, but it bounced directly to Refsnyder in right, who threw Suwinski out at second. Andrew McCutchen hit a soft grounder to short to end the inning.

“That’s just game-awareness,” Shelton said. “Jack’s gotta realize that ball is in front of him. He’s just trying to make something happen. He made a good swing. He’s trying to get to second. He’s just gotta realize that, at that point, we’re down four. We need baserunners.”

More Pirates mistakes led to Boston’s next run. Aroldis Chapman, returning from a one-game suspension, walked Duran to start the eighth. After Duran stole second, Chapman was called for a disengagement violation after attempting his third pickoff throw. Abreu then hit a pop fly to shallow center that bounced off Oneil Cruz’s glove, allowing Duran to score for a 6-1 lead.

Adding insult was Anderson, a non-roster invitee to spring training with the Pirates who opted out after not making the Opening Day roster. He retired the final six batters in order to close out Boston’s win.

“When the team’s in a little skid, things are magnified,” Joe said. “When you don’t get the big hit, there’s more emphasis on that. So, really, I don’t feel like we’re too far off, and I don’t feel like we’re panicking. The confidence and belief in ourselves and within each other still stay consistent and true, which is a good sign for us.”