North Shore Nine

Another night, another missed opportunity. The Pittsburgh Pirates fell 3-2 to the Cubs in extra innings, marking yet another frustrating loss in a game they had every chance to win. On this episode of the NS9 Postgame Show, Anthony DiNardo and Dougie Fresh dive into everything that went wrong — and a few things that went right — in this latest gut-punch defeat.

Mitch Keller took the mound and delivered what should have been a winning performance: six innings, two earned runs. But the story, as it so often is, lies in the details. Keller was staked to an early 2-0 lead and almost immediately gave it right back. His ongoing inability to hold runners continues to haunt him, and the guys discuss how this flaw remains unaddressed after several seasons.

Doug raises the question every Pirates fan is thinking: Where’s the killer instinct? Paul Skenes, Jared Jones — even Mike Burrows — seem to have that competitive fire. With Keller, it often feels like just enough, but never more.

And of course, the bats once again failed to deliver in the clutch. A lifeless offense squandered solid pitching and left fans with déjà vu from the night before. The frustration is growing, and so is the predictability.

Catch the full breakdown and see why fans are losing patience with the status quo.