The Pirates' offense reached another level of disaster in their 4-0 loss to the Reds this afternoon at Great American Ball Park as they were swept for the first time this year.

Did you think it was bad when they mustered a combined five runs on eight hits in losses Friday and Saturday? Well, today the Pirates tallied two measly hits and had 23 straight batters retired by Reds starter Hunter Greene along with relievers Ian Gibaut and Tony Santillan. That was the reality in a defeat that brought out the brooms to conclude a disastrous three-game set in "The Queen City." 

"It's been tough," said Isiah Kiner-Falefa, who tallied a second-inning triple. "Dealing with a lot of injuries right now, but there's no excuse. Next guy up. This is not fun. This sucks, but there's one way to go and see what we're made of. We've got to find a way to win games. Otherwise, it's not good. This is unacceptable. We've got to play better."

Kiner-Falefa's triple off Greene came an inning after Bryan Reynolds barreled up a fastball right down the heart of the plate and sent it into center field for a double. Both of those hits came with one out and both hitters wound up at third base. Those two opportunities, ones that could have helped the Pirates generate some early momentum, were then squandered. 

What followed was a streak of 23 straight batters set down by Reds pitchers. Greene allowed two hits and a walk while striking out eight over seven scoreless innings before Gibaut and Santillan finished things out with two unblemished innings of their own. 

"We can't let opportunities be squandered," Derek Shelton said. "We have to capitalize on opportunities when we do have them. The other thing is, we can't look around and say 'Hey, these guys aren't in our lineup.' The guys that are here need to execute, need to get the job done."

The Pirates' bats haven't come close to getting the job done through 16 games this season. Their offensive deficiencies were on full display this weekend, as they were limited to four or less hits in each loss and failed to gain any type of legitimate momentum with runners on, aside from the two wasted chances today. 

They've now suffered a series loss in four of the five they've played and are 5-11 on the season, joining the likes of the Braves, Rockies, Twins and White Sox as 11-loss teams sitting at or near the bottom of their respective divisions. The pitching staff has done enough to keep most games within reach, but the offensive production continues to keep this team from moving in a positive direction. 

By average, the Pirates' standing as Major League Baseball's worst-hitting team remains secure. They're now down to a collective .184 average that matches their league-worst .290 slugging percentage and .563 OPS. They also have the third-most strikeouts (151) in the league after adding nine more today. Their 97 hits is the second-lowest amount in the league and their 50 runs scored is tied for the third-lowest. Not exactly metrics that will strike fear into opposing pitchers. 

Here are some other facts that are relevant to the current state of the major-league club. During Ben Cherington's first five seasons as general manager, the Pirates have posted some of the worst team averages in franchise history, led by the 2020 team (.220), which ranked as the third-worst. In 2022, they hit .222 (fourth-worst) and the 2024 team's .234 average was the ninth-worst in the 144-year history of the franchise. This current team appears on pace to either make history as the worst-hitting team Pittsburgh has ever seen, or finish among the worst. 

"The last couple years, we've started off actually playing pretty well and then gone through stretches," Shelton said. "We have to figure out some things offensively. We have to figure out the way to create opportunities."

The aforementioned injuries that Kiner-Falefa and Shelton alluded to have played a role in Enmanuel Valdez, Alexander Canario and Tsung-Che Cheng being added to the big-league roster as Spencer Horwitz, Nick Gonzales, Jared Triolo and Joey Bart have all missed time. Even Reynolds has dealt with a shoulder ailment that has limited his ability to play the field, forcing Andrew McCutchen to spend an extended amount of time on the bench rather than in the lineup. 

But that's no excuse and neither is the fact that some guys are playing new positions and having their versatility tested. Whoever is out there on any given day or night needs to contribute in some way, shape or form offensively. Plain and simple. 

"I just think a lot of guys are doing new things for the first time, out of position. But it's what we've got," Kiner-Falefa said. "We've got to figure out a way to win games and to gain experience on the fly. It's not good baseball we're playing. We've got to find a way to clean it up. Anything it takes."