The New York Mets are not the only big-money disappointment in Major League Baseball season. The San Diego Padres are giving them quite a run for their money and are rapidly falling out of the National League playoff race. The Padres were swept by the Pittsburgh Pirates on Thursday afternoon, blowing a 4-0 lead in a 5-4 loss to extend their losing streak to five games. They are also just 2-8 in their past 10 games and 37-44 on the season. That puts them 10.5 games out of first place in the National League West and eight games out of…
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Smoke from Canadian wildfires hovered over Pittsburgh on Thursday, concealing the city’s skyline from the seats at PNC Park. The Pirates and Padres played regardless, but not without delay and protest from players. Players showed up to the ballpark for the afternoon game one day after playing in similarly smoky conditions for Game 2 of the three-game series. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported that Thursday’s smoke “seemed to have infiltrated the Pirates clubhouse” by the time players arrived. Pirates stalwart and former NL MVP Andrew McCutchen expressed concern about the conditions while speaking with the Post-Gazette: “I feel like there’s not…