PHILADELPHIA — It was like something out of a sitcom script. The bus waiting outside the Pirates’ team hotel Wednesday afternoon wouldn’t start, so the players piled out and hailed cabs for the traffic-packed drive from downtown Philadelphia to Citizens Bank Park. They arrived safely at the ballpark, almost all armed with a few stories of harrowing intersections and red lights run.
The Pirates’ traffic troubles had only just begun. Rookie left-hander Steven Brault struggled to navigate the Philadelphia Phillies lineup, and the scoreboard reflected the runners romping around the bases. The result was a 6-2 loss, the Pirates’ 13th defeat in their past 16 games.