For the Pittsburgh Pirates, it was opportunity missed.

Not opportunity lost.

At least, not yet.

The Pirates’ home game against San Diego Thursday afternoon ended a string of 20 consecutive games against opponents with records below .500.

That was the stretch of schedule where most people believed the Bucs would make their move and solidify their position in the wild-card race. It didn’t happen.

The Pirates finished that stretch of games against the likes of Milwaukee, Cincinnati, Atlanta and San Diego with a 10-10 record. They remain a couple of games outside of a wild-card spot.

They’re lucky. Things could be much worse.

While the Bucs have scuffled, other contenders for the second wild-card — the Cardinals, Mets and Marlins — have been scuffling as well. Whoever loses the NL West Division race between the Giants and Dodgers will likely host the NL wild-card game.

Now that the “soft” part of the Pirate schedule is done, let’s look at what will take the Bucs to the end of the month.

They are in Los Angeles to play the Dodgers this weekend. Then they head to San Francisco for three games, return to PNC Park to face the Marlins and Houston Astros. Both of those teams are fighting for their playoff lives.

After that, the Pirates play a four-game series in Milwaukee — where they were recently swept — before going to Wrigley Field to face a Cubs team that has run away and hid from the rest of the NL Central.

Sooo ... how do you like those chances?

The Pirates can’t sputter much longer. They need to beat the teams in front of them and they will play a few of those teams between now and the end of the season.

It’s possible, of course, that they will do just that. But the odds say otherwise.

Starting pitching is everything in baseball. The Mets have one of the strongest young rotations in the game. The Doddgers are known for pitching, the Cardinals have young veterans on the mound who know how to get it done, the Marlins have a solid rotation.

Pirate ace Gerrit Cole is 7-7 on the year. No. 2 pitcher Francisco Liriano was jettisoned to Toronto after a rough season. The other three starting pitchers from early in the season — Jon Niese, Juan Nicasio and Jeff Locke — were since demoted to the bullpen.

Niese isn’t even here anymore. He’s been dealt back to the Mets, who already fleeced the Bucs for Neil Walker, who has hit 20 home runs this season.

Ouch.

The Pirates are relying on 39-year-old Ryan Vogelsong and a few fresh arms from the minor leagues to get them into the postseason.

With guys like Jameson Tallion, Chad Kuhl, Steve Brault, Tyler Glasnow and others, the short-term future of the Pirates looks bright.

But in the here and now?

It’s not gonna happen.

John Enrietto is sports editor of the Butler Eagle