 On August 7, with the Pirates were 62-46 and in the thick of the playoff race.However, in a stunning twist of fate, the team lost 37 of its final 54 games, leaving the Pirates with a 79-83 record, and a record 20th consecutive losing season.While no single reason could be attributed to the disappointing finish, many writers highlighted inconsistent starting pitching and an injury to Neil Walker as the main reasons for the collapse.