Pirates demote struggling Presley

The Pittsburgh Pirates' offense is so abysmal Alex Presley, their fifth-best hitter, was demoted to the minor leagues and richly deserved it. Imagine what that says about the rest of the lineup. Presley, the opening day left fielder and leadoff man, was optioned to Class AAA Indianapolis after batting .220 with two home runs and seven RBIs. He batted .298 last season and an encouraging .280 through April of this year, but a 3-for-38 May was too much for management. "We need Alex to be able to play his game to make our offense go," manager Clint Hurdle said before the 7-4 loss Wednesday night in Washington. "It's been a challenge, especially the past two weeks. He's not the only one, but he's a young player who we like a lot." The Pirates had pushed Presley to reach base more often, whether through walks, bunt singles or simply keeping the ball on the ground and capitalizing on his speed. He did none of the above, as evidenced by a total ...