Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Andrew Heaney (middle) surrenders the ball to manager Don Kelly (right) as he is removed from the game against the Chicago White Sox during the fifth inning at PNC Park. Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Pirates hit historic lows after getting swept by White Sox

By Adam Gretz | Last updated Jul 20, 2025 6:02 PM ET

The 2025 Pittsburgh Pirates may have hit rock bottom when they were swept by the Chicago White Sox in three consecutive games, getting outscored by a 27-7 margin. It was a humiliating series coming out of the All-Star break, but there was one more thing that added an additional insult to it.

By losing three consecutive games to the White Sox, and 11 of their past 12 games overall, the Pirates now find themselves with a losing record in franchise history, going all the way back to 1882 when the club was first known as Allegheny City.

It is the first time the franchise has had a losing record since the 1903 season, going back 122 years.

There you go, you can officially celebrate (or hang your head) at the Pittsburgh Pirates franchise dropping below the .500 mark for the first time since August 22, 1903. I know everyone wanted to celebrate early based off an online error, but your patience paid off 10,879-10,880 https://t.co/m1ZiSz6qoR
— John Dreker (@JohnDreker) July 20, 2025

While it seems hard to believe now, the Pirates were a once-proud franchise in the early 1900s, through the 1920s, and again during the 1960s and 1970s. The franchise, one of the anchor franchises in Major League history, has five World Series titles and boasts an extensive list of the game's greatest players.

But since the team's lost World Series championship in 1979, the franchise has known far more losing than winning. Over those 46 years, the Pirates have had just 10 winning seasons, won zero playoff series and have been one of the consistently worst teams in the league.

They're not only failing to have winning seasons, but they are no longer a winning franchise overall.

It is a staggering fall from grace over the past four decades, and there appears to be little end in sight. Especially as they seem destined to lose significantly more games than they win for the rest of the 2025 season.

Adam Gretz

Adam Gretz is a freelance writer based in Pittsburgh. He covers the NHL, NFL, MLB and NBA. Baseball is his favorite sport -- he is nearly halfway through his goal of seeing a game in every MLB ballpark. Catch him on Twitter @AGretz

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