"It happened on July 19, a bright, shining moment for the Pirates when all of life's joys and possibilities seemed within reach. After dealing Cincinnati back-to-back shutouts, this model of losing consistency led the National League Central by a half-game, seven games above .500.

The pitching, brilliant beyond any reasonable expectation, brought the Pirates here.

And it was the pitching that eventually would take them away from it -- the hitting was a lost cause from Day 1. The Pirates hit the All-Star break with a 3.44 team ERA. Then came fatigue, injuries, familiarity and the leveling-off process of a 162-game season. With a 4.78 ERA after the break, the third-highest increase in Major League Baseball, the Pirates went 21-46 the rest of the way."