On today's episode of Locked On Pirates, host Ethan Smith discusses the series loss to the Milwaukee Brewers, which means the Pirates have yet to win a series versus the NL Central so far this year. This stretch has also not been kind to Pittsburgh, so what can they do to put a good stretch together?

Also, Jared Jones & Paul Skenes will face the Chicago Cubs over the next two days, much like they did over the past weekend. Both starts were relatively strong ones, so what can Jones and Skenes do to build on their previous starts versus the Cubbies.

Finally, Ethan shares his thoughts on the state of the Pirates as a whole, from top-to-bottom, and why although it feels rough right now, brighter times are on the way, and not far away.

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