Not that I was going to stay up late and watch last night’s Pittsburgh Pirates game at San Francisco, but the team’s 10-game losing streak entering last night’s contest is a bit too much to bear.

One local reporter said it best: The Pirates were not as good when they were winning and they’re not as bad as they are when they’re losing.

The Pirates saw a first-place tie and five games over .500 turn into five games below .500 and 10 games back in 10 days.

Where’s a day off when you need one?

I suppose a lot of people were waiting for the wheels to fall off and they did in a hurry. All the good times and positive vibes built up through the first four months of the season have vanished.

I was curious about my expectations, so I dug up the April 5 edition of the paper to see how far off, if at all, I was.

The phrase I threw out a lot was “cautiously optimistic.” The Pirates had opened the season by taking two of three from the host Chicago Cubs.

“I’m a realist. I don’t expect the Pirates to contend for the National League Central, although this is a fairly weak division, especially this year.”That seemed true until the Milwaukee Brewers went 11-1 in their past 12 games, entering last night with a 65-50 record.

“So, I’ll temper my expectations, but I’ll keep my eye on them for a while. As long as the team is aggressive on the basepaths and allows their young stars a chance to shine, I’ll watch or listen.”They were aggressive, but it was the pitching that carried the Pirates the first four months. Stars like Andrew McCutchen, who has been in a hitting slump since the All-Star Game, and Pedro Alvarez, who’s been non-existent, haven’t made it easier.

“But as quickly as they can start out well, a six- or seven-game losing streak can quickly sink the team.”To be honest, I thought it would have come earlier than it did, but the team could not afford a prolonged stretch like they just experienced.

“The Pirates can’t afford to relax. One modest losing streak can sink a team like this — that’s been the case for almost two decades.”The relaxing was a comment for Boston Red Sox fans, who had to be upset at their team’s 0-3 start. It grew to 0-6 before turning the corner and now have the American League’s best mark at 71-43.A long losing streak was sure to bring a sense of desperation — and it has.Usually, fans in Western Pennsylvania have hoped the Pirates to be competitive until Steelers training camp began in mid July. In most seasons, they were falling fast by late April, the time of the NFL draft.This year, the Pirates did make it to Steelers training camp. The first day players reported was July 28, which was the last game the Pirates won before losing 10 straight.

“Good things may or may not continue. I’ll choose to keep a cautious, yet optimistic — there’s that phrase again — eye toward the Pirates.”I still will, but I’m not going to lose any sleep over it.Sam Tallarico is a staff writer for the Butler Eagle.