ST. LOUIS -- These Pirates have looked lousy since the All-Star break. They’ve even looked lethargic, for the first time all summer.
They haven’t quit.
Not individually. Not collectively.
It was one outcome out of 162, the 3-1 ninth-inning capper over the Cardinals on this Tuesday night at Busch Stadium, and it's seldom worth magnifying any game beyond the math. The cold fact is, a loss in the Wednesday matinee series finale, and all concerned will fly back to Pittsburgh with a 1-5 trip, and faces as long as their odds against real contention in the Central.