DENVER — As much as a team entering the all-star break 14 games under .500 could need a win, the Pirates needed a win Sunday.
The Pirates’ four-game losing streak entering Sunday was about as brutal as they get. They lost twice on extra-inning walk-offs to the Miami Marlins, then were blown out by the Colorado Rockies, then flailed offensively in a two-run shutout loss Saturday.
So Sunday’s 8-3 win over those same Rockies isn’t going to rocket them up the division standings or set them up for a wild card push, but it does provide some relief, the same way any slump-busting win does. This time, it just provides that relief over a longer period of time, allowing the Pirates to take a breather in a long season without a loss sticking in their craw.
