Through 14 games, the Pirates are officially the worst-hitting team in Major League Baseball following a four-hit output that helped play a role in the team's ninth defeat of the young season tonight. 

Their collective .194 average ranks dead last in the league and they are now the only team with a mark that sits under .200. They also rank at the bottom of the list in slugging percentage (.299) and OPS (.586), while their hitters have compiled the fourth-most strikeouts (133) in baseball. There's relatively no power, too. They're among four teams with nine home runs in at least 13 games. Two teams rank last in that category with six. 

In years past when the Pirates have struggled at the plate, there have been a handful of players who have accounted for the collective woes. Meanwhile, there's always been one or two guys carrying the load in a positive way. 

On this particular team, it seems as if everyone is struggling to find their way at the plate. Six guys who were featured in tonight's lineup are hitting below .200 this season, while five of those players have batting averages that sit at .150 or worse. Isiah Kiner-Falefa, who has been one of the team's more consistent contributors this season, is now batting .279 after going 0 for 3 with two strikeouts. Bryan Reynolds has been a consistently dependable hitter since entering the league in 2019. Even he's hitting just .200 (11 for 55) over his first 13 games. Granted he is dealing with a shoulder ailment that has limited him to designated hitter duties, but he hasn't been in a position to lead the charge with his lack of production. Andrew McCutchen has been solid in the early going, but his playing time has varied with Reynolds' current situation. 

The offense is in dire need of a spark. But who's going to provide it? 

"Sometimes we try a little too much," said Endy Rodriguez, who accounted for one of the four hits tonight. "But we're trying to do the job at the end of the day." 

The Pirates might be trying to get out of this prolonged stretch of bad offensive play, but things aren't changing for the better. The team is averaging just 3.4 runs and 6.5 hits per game and has been held to four runs or fewer in all but two of their games this season. They've been limited to three runs or less in three straight games and have been held hitless for four-plus innings in two consecutive games. 

This group has also struggled to put multiple hits together in order to generate any type of momentum in a given inning. In fact, Pirates batters have generated two or more hits in just 22 of the 134 innings they've played so far this season. That equals out to an average of 1.57 innings per game in which they've had two or more hits. 

Now, it's understandable for one to think this lineup would be better with its full complement of players, as guys like Spencer Horwitz, Nick Gonzales and Oneil Cruz have missed time due to injury. All three of those guys would certainly make a difference on a given night. 

Cruz's current ailment is less severe than the other two, but any time he's not in the lineup, his presence is missed. Even Joey Bart, another big bat, left tonight's game with back discomfort. Not exactly a good sign during a time when the league's worst offense is already desperate for reinforcements. 

"It's challenging right now," Derek Shelton said. "We've just got to get back to full strength. We've got to keep going and keep grinding through it, but we've got to get back to full strength. Right now, we're just not there."