Charlie Riedel, Associated Press Kansas City's Mark Grudzielanek safely reaches second on a grounder by Reggie Sanders after Pirates shortstop Jack Wilson struggles to get control of the ball in the seventh inning yesterday at Kauffman Stadium. Wilson was charged with an error. Click photo for larger image. Today Matchup: Pirates (Oliver Perez 2-9) vs. Dodgers (Brett Tomko 5-6), 10:40 p.m. Where: Dodgers Stadium, Los Angeles. TV/Radio:FSN Pittsburgh/KDKA-AM (1020) and Pirates Radio Network. Related articles Tracy tabbed by Garner to be All-Star coach Pirates Notebook: Tracy downplays return to L.A. Pirates Scouting Report: Los Angeles Dodgers Pirates Q&A with Dejan Kovacevic Smizik: It's time to break up Pirates -- again Game Statistics Provided by Forecaster Pirates vs. Royals box score Game play-by-play

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Because they play in different leagues and face different opponents, no one could have been sure.

That is, until 6:03 p.m. yesterday, when it became cemented: It is the Pirates, and not the Kansas City Royals, who are the worst team in Major League Baseball.

Oh, sure, they still lead in the overall standings, their 26-48 record marginally better than Kansas City's 22-49. But the Royals left little to dispute by taking all three games of the teams' only head-to-head meeting, including the 15-7 knockout in the finale yesterday at Kauffman Stadium.

And the Pirates' pitiful performance through it all clinched the dubious distinction with the bluntness of a hammer to the head.

"We just stunk," Pirates reliever Roberto Hernandez said. "We didn't play any good baseball this whole series. It's just embarrassing in all facets of the game. We didn't do anything positive."

Some might call it a low point -- yet another, anyway -- but this one seemed lower than low, even for a franchise well on its way to a 14th consecutive losing season and projecting to finish 57-105.

It was not so much that the Pirates came up empty against a fellow bottom-feeder but, rather, the hide-the-women-and-children manner in which it happened.

They committed a fielding error by shortstop Jack Wilson, a throwing error by second baseman Jose Castillo and a passed ball by catcher Humberto Cota, all of which allowed runs to score.

They walked seven and hit two batters, and all but two of those runners scored.

And, perhaps most humbling, they appeared to be, in a general sense, a perfect match for an equally sloppy opponent. Kansas City dropped two popups, walked five, threw two wild pitches and did just about everything else wrong.

Except to win, of course.

"There's really not a whole lot good to say about it," Pirates manager Jim Tracy said. "It's disappointing. You've seen how we play in a lot of games against very good baseball teams, and we didn't play like we did today. That's for sure."

Even his counterpart, Buddy Bell, whose team has won four games in a row for the first time this season, could not help but cringe in recalling the afternoon.

"Great game, huh?" he said, drawing laughter at his postgame news conference.

The Pirates have lost eight in a row, their longest skid since going 0-9 June 5-15, 2004.

Wilson, asked if the losing is wearing on the players, replied, "I think so," then predicted that the weekend set opening tonight in Los Angeles will be pivotal.

"I think, if we don't turn it around in L.A., something's going to have to be done," he added. "It's pretty tough. Everyone's pretty frustrated."

He did not elaborate.

Starter Paul Maholm entered the game having allowed an alarming 39.7 percent of batters to reach base, and the trend went uninterrupted. Kansas City scored seven times in his 4¹/₃ innings, putting 11 of its 23 batters on via six hits -- including John Buck's second-inning home run -- and five walks.

Upon his exit in the fifth, the Royals were up, 7-2.

"I have no idea what's going on with my walks right now," Maholm said after running his total to 13 in the past three starts. "It was just a pretty poor outing from the get-go."

He is winless in seven starts since May 16.

The Pirates scored three runs in the sixth, two coming when Kansas City shortstop Angel Berroa dropped Cota's popup that would have been the third out. That pulled them within 7-5.

Tracy had summoned long man Ryan Vogelsong the previous inning, and he stuck with him in the sixth, even though the game was tight again. Vogelsong gave up four hits and two runs.

He has given up eight runs in his past four outings and has a staff-high 6.39 ERA, and he could be the odd man out when Victor Santos returns to health.

Tracy declined to single out Vogelsong, pointing out that Kansas City scored in all but the third inning.

"They grounded some hits through the infield," Tracy said. "But you know what? A number of our guys gave up runs. There's no sense talking about Vogie."

The Pirates recovered Vogelsong's runs in the seventh on Jason Bay's RBI double and Freddy Sanchez's run-producing groundout to close within 9-7, but Hernandez gave up four unearned runs in the eighth -- all after Wilson muffed a routine grounder that would have ended the inning -- and Mike Gonzalez two more in the ninth.

It would be obvious to say the Pirates' challenge is about to become more difficult -- all opponents are more formidable than the Royals -- but that is doubly true when seeing that, after the trip to Los Angeles, the Chicago White Sox and Detroit Tigers visit PNC Park.

"Those teams aren't going to take any pity on us. They just want to beat up on us," Hernandez said. "We need to learn from this series and move on."