The Pirates will take any victory they can get these days, even the teeniest of tiniest.
So, on a day when they were clubbed by the Mets 13-2 at PNC Park to continue their freefall, the Pirates could at least claim some semblance of a win Sunday. Getting blown out enabled Clint Hurdle and his staff to continue to sort through roster pieces to see who might provide in 2020 and beyond.
Granted, that felt about the same as winning the seventh-place game at the Great Alaska Shootout. The loss was the 12th in the last 14 games for the Pirates (48-63), dropped them to 4-18 since the All-Star Game as any hope of joining the three-team race with the Cubs, Cardinals and Brewers at the top of the National League Central standings is long gone.