Dog Days of August setting in for Pirates, Starting Rotation

By John Perrotto

The dog days of August are more than a baseball cliché.

August is the toughest month for players. They have been going almost non-stop since spring training in mid-February and fatigue starts to set in during a long, hot summer.

The dog days of August haven't been good in the early going for the Pirates as they began by getting swept at home in a four-game series by the Chicago Cubs, who have the second-worst record in the major leagues behind Houston.

The sweep, which concluded Thursday night at PNC Park, has dropped the Pirates two games under at 54-56 and seven games behind first-place Milwaukee in the National League Central. The Pirates held a percentage point lead in the division following games of July 24.

Pirates manager Clint Hurdle and pitching coach Ray Searage are also mindful that it is the dog days of August for a starting rotation that has been better than expected but still faces 10 more turns before the season ends. The rotation has faltered in a stretch where the Pirates have lost nine of their last 10 games, posting a 6.20 ERA, in that span.