{"id":82954,"date":"2024-08-13T18:03:07","date_gmt":"2024-08-13T22:03:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/?p=82954"},"modified":"2024-08-13T18:03:07","modified_gmt":"2024-08-13T22:03:07","slug":"pirates-blowing-wild-card-race","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2024\/08\/13\/pirates-blowing-wild-card-race\/","title":{"rendered":"This Just In: The Pirates Are Blowing It. Here Are Their Next Moves."},"content":{"rendered":"

That crashing sound you hear coming from Pittsburgh is the Pirates falling out of the National League Wild Card race. It seems like just a week and a half ago the Pirates were in the thick of the race. That\u2019s because a week and a half ago, they were <\/em>in the race. However, they\u2019ve now lost eight in a row and 10 of their last 11 games. They enter Tuesday\u2019s action with a record of 56-62, six games out of the final Wild Card spot. Six games aren\u2019t much in mid-August. But now they must jump over seven teams. Not that that\u2019s impossible. A long winning streak of, say, 10-12 might do it. Unfortunately, these Pirates don\u2019t seem to have that in them.<\/p>\n

Next Moves for the Pirates to (Maybe) Stay in the Wild Card Race<\/h2>\n

Of course, it\u2019s too late for a massive overhaul of the team. If Pittsburgh fans had their way, the Pirates would DFA every batter who went 0-for-4 and every pitcher who gave up a run. Then they\u2019d fire manager Derek Shelton<\/a> for failing to stick to a set lineup. But there are a few tweaks the Pirates might consider. Separately, they might not move the needle much. Together, they might make a difference. They might go against the organization\u2019s thinking. But desperate times call for desperate measures.<\/p>\n

Help in the Minor Leagues<\/h3>\n

The Pirates\u2019 deadline activity<\/a> included three deals for prospects. Pitcher Josh Walker<\/a>, obtained from the New York Mets, has already been released after pitching one inning at Triple-A Indianapolis<\/a>. The other two deals look better. Versatile Nick Yorke<\/a>, primarily a second baseman, was obtained<\/a> from the Boston Red Sox. He was hitting .310\/.408\/.490 at Triple-A Worcester. At Indianapolis, he\u2019s hitting .368\/.419\/.474 in 11 games. Billy Cook<\/a>, acquired<\/a> from the Baltimore Orioles, hit .279\/.372\/.482 with 11 home runs at Triple-A Norfolk. He had an incredible July when he hit .389\/.436\/.778. That hot hitting has continued at Indy, as he\u2019s hitting .360\/.452\/.680 in eight games. He’s mostly been used as an outfielder but plays other positions as well. When they were acquired, there was some thought that they could join the Pirates in the Wild Card race at some point in 2024. That time is now.<\/p>\n

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Nick Yorke is having an August with the @indyindians<\/a> \ud83d\ude2e\u200d\ud83d\udca8 pic.twitter.com\/fj0JvWQtMx<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Young Bucs (@YoungBucsPIT) August 12, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n