The doubles thumping off the center-field wall at PNC Park awakened the Pirates bullpen. With rookie right-hander Chad Kuhl stuck in a second-inning shelling, left-hander Jeff Locke loosened. The St. Louis Cardinals would show him no mercy, either, in their 12-6 shellacking in the series opener.
Waxed again, the Pirates (67-68) extended their losing streak to seven games, their longest since Aug. 19, 2014. They also dipped below .500 for the first time in two months.
After being swept by the Milwaukee Brewers over the weekend, manager Clint Hurdle mentioned the schedule set up favorably for the Pirates.