Lyles' nosedive so steep he can't last an inning anymore

CHICAGO — Jordan Lyles once looked like a great value free-agent signing by the Pirates. Now, he looks like a pitcher who does not belong in the rotation of a team that claims it is a contender.

Lyles’ woes continued Saturday as the Pirates were pounded by the Cubs, 10-4, at Wrigley Field, dropping them 4 1/2 games behind first-place Chicago in the National League Central. The right-hander failed to make it out of a seven-run first inning, retiring just two of the 10 batters he faced. And there wasn’t much to further dissect about the outing because it lasted 43 pitches, just 22 of which were strikes.

“He didn’t get engaged in the strike zone often enough and that put him in bad counts,” Clint Hurdle said.

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