Slumping Schmidt Challenges Team

Jason Schmidt has gone more than two months without winning a game for the Pittsburgh Pirates. On Thursday, the right-hander said it wasn’t all his fault.

After a 5-1 loss to Colorado, his 12th consecutive start without a win, Schmidt ripped some of his teammates’ apathetic attitudes.

“I don’t see anybody really mad that we’re losing eight out of 10,” Schmidt said. “Come to the park every day and it’s the same thing. I think something needs to be done. We need to go out and bust our butts every game and come to the park ready to play.

“We’ve got a lot of of guys giving 100 percent but we also have a lot of guys who are just going through the motions. You come in and everyone’s happy like we won 10 in a row and that’s not how it is.”

The Pirates have lost six of seven and are a season-low 13 games under .500.

Schmidt (8-9) is 0-8 since he became the league’s first eight-game winner June 1. He has the longest losing streak by a Pirate since Jose DeLeon lost 11 consecutive decisions in 1985.

Schmidt was outpitched by John Thomson (6-8), who held the Pirates to four hits with two walks and five strikeouts. He combined with Jamey Wright for the first consecutive complete games in Rockies’ history.

“It was one of the hottest days we’ve had this year, too,” Colorado Manager Don Baylor said. “He [Thomson] threw strikes, he worked the inside of the plate and his fastball was really explosive. Even in the ninth inning, he was still at 93 and 94.”