PITTSBURGH CRASHING DOWN

The Pirates lost their 8th straight game Saturday and fell 20 games under .500 for the first time in 2009. Manager John Russell's job security is diminishing quickly in Pittsburgh. Trading away nearly every piece of talent they had at the beginning of the season has led the Pirates down a path of demise with no hope at the end of the tunnel. Their latest loss, 3-5 to the St. Louis Cardinals put them 15 games out of contention in the National Leauge Central.