"This is a big series for us," Pirates second baseman Freddy Sanchez said Friday afternoon. "This is when we need to come together and play better offensively."

Over the 10-game span heading into last night's game, the Pirates batted .215 with runners in scoring position. Their team batting average fell 22 points. Their on-base and slugging percentages also took big dips.

The pitching, for the most part, remains consistently good. But the run production has dried up.

Terrible 10

The Pirates' team

batting stats have dropped over the 10 games:

Date

G

AVG

HR

R

R/G

SLG

OBP

April 26

18

.274

15

91

5.05

.436

.345

May 7

28

.252

18

122

4.36

.389

.326

"We've come out flat in a lot of games," Sanchez said. "We need to pick up the intensity level as a team.

"Last year, we did a good job of battling back. Right now, we're a little flat. That happens sometimes when you're losing and you get down early."

Pirates manager John Russell says the attitude in the clubhouse remains upbeat.

"We knew this was going to happen," Russell said. "You go through these kind of stretches throughout the season. It's how you handle it. We need one of those games when it all clicks, and everybody relaxes a little bit, and we can move on."

Russell and hitting coach Don Long are stressing the importance of hitting behind runners -- and not only when the ball is hit on the ground.

"When it's (runners on) first and second, stay away from a fly ball to left, where you can't advance," Russell said. "Make productive outs -- little things."

That's a message even a former batting champion such as Sanchez needs to hear every so often.

On Wednesday in St. Louis, Sanchez came up with the bases loaded and one out, and he failed to bring in a run.

"Although I'm a free-swinger, in that situation, I've got to be smarter," Sanchez said. "If nothing else, I've got to at least hit a sacrifice fly and get one run in. Those are the situations you want to be in as a hitter, but I got a little bit too anxious."