Bullpen Breakdown. Bucs LOSE

	R	H	E	LOB
	9	16	0	7
	4	7	0	4

Jeff Karstens really kept the Pirates in this game for 5 innings, but the Pirates' bullpen post-deadline, sans Hanrahan and Meek, is young, inexperienced, and all-around terrible.

The score was 3-1 through 6 innings, when a combination of Sean Gallagher, Wil Ledezma, and Steven Jackson allowed 5 hits, 6 runs, and 1 homer, sinking the Buccos' slim hopes of pulling this one out. Ledezma allowed 3 runs in 0.1 IP, bringing his ERA back up to 18.00. In 5.0 IP, Jeff Karstens allowed 9 H, 3 ER, 2 BB and no HRs while striking out 2.

On the offensive side, the Bucs might have been able to squeak out a win if the bullpen had held. But as it is, they only scored 4 runs, not nearly enough for this game. All 4 runs came by way of the long ball which if nothing else made it nice to watch for the 20,420, minus some out-of-towners, on hand to witness it. Andrew McCutchen got things started in the very first at bat, lifting one deep toward the Left Field Loonies. That would be the only time the Pirates had the lead, as the Reds tied it up the very next inning. In the 7th inning, Jeff Clement smacked one to right with Cedeno on 2nd base. That being the only time in the game the Pirates had runners in scoring position, they went 1 for 1 with RISP on the day. Clement got back over the batting average hump with that hit, and his average is now a breathtaking .205. Pedro had the only multi-hit game, going 2 for 3 with a walk, and hit a fairly meaningless but still sweet 412 footer to right center in the 9th.

The Race For Last™

The Pirates lost, so they inch one step closer to that #1 pick. The other teams on the watch list:

Baltimore: Won 9-7.
Arizona: Lost 7-2.
Seattle: Lost 11-6.
Cleveland: Won 9-1.
Kansas City: Lost 4-3.

The current standings:

Team	W	L	GB
Baltimore	34	73	--
Pittsburgh	37	70	3
Arizona	40	68	4.5
Seattle	40	67	6
Cleveland	46	62	10.5
Kansas City	46	62	10.5

Eyes on the prize, Bucco fans.