The National League lost the All-Star game because there weren’t any Pirates bats on the roster.

Of course, I’m jesting here, but the fact there’s any discussion about the Pirates swinging big bats in a season, any part of a season in recent history, is amazing.

Sitting here at the All-Star break, we can glance at the Major League Baseball statistics and see that the Pirates share first place with the Washington Nationals in what’s really the most important statistic, runs scored with 516. The only other MLB team over 500 is the mighty Dodgers with 506.

Runs allowed would explain why the Pirates are just three games over .500 at 50-47. They rank 23rd in the league in that category with 472.

The Pirates scored 583 runs last year, so with 65 games left, they’ve scored just 67 less runs than all of last year.

The Pirates didn’t have an all-star hitter in the game Tuesday and that’s not necessarily a shocker, although it’s hard to see how second baseman Brendan Lowe wasn’t an All-Star. It’s not a big deal, certainly not as big as the question on how the season goes after the break.

Slugging Ryan O’Hearn was quoted that he couldn’t wait to get to Cleveland this weekend to start the second half. If they keep hitting, no question he’s right. They have to keep hitting and definitely have to pitch better.

The trade deadline should be an interesting.

The only other times during the All-Star game era that the Pirates led the National League in scoring runs at the break came in 1971 and 1960. Those years, of course, are etched in Pirates lore as World Series title seasons.

In 1971, the Pirates were 57-31 at the break and that was also the best record in the majors. They scored 447 runs with only one other team over 400 and they ranked third in the NL in runs allowed. Willie Stargell had an awesome start to the season and was batting .320 with 30 homers at the break. Roberto Clemente, in his next-to-last season, was hitting .342.

The pitching staff led by starters Steve Blass and Doc Ellis, swingman Nellie Briles and closer Dave Guisti helped keep teams off the scoreboard and that theme lasted through the rest of the season.

In 1960, the Pirates led the majors in runs scored with 416 and owned the best record as well at 49-30 — the eventual World Series runner-up Yankees were 45-30 — as a balanced roster of hitters and pitchers were leading the way. Clemente was hitting .325 while eventual batting crown champion Dick Groat was hitting .315.

The pitching staff, led by starters Vernon Law and Bob Friend and reliever Elroy Face, had the Pirates ranking second in runs allowed.

Even back before the All-Star era began in 1933, the World Series champion Pittsburgh Pirates of 1925 were in first place at the midway point at 48-29 and led the NL in runs scored.

Another key date of note: the morning Aug. 9, 2013, Coopertown, N.Y.

I took my son, then 9, to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and right there on the MLB standings board outside the Hall it showed the Pirates with the best record in baseball at 70-44, one-half game ahead of the Atlanta Braves in the overall National League standings.

While the Pirates only ranked 11th in the NL in runs scored, they were giving up the least amount of runs in the majors by far. Remember that staff? Starters Francisco Liriano, Gerrit Cole, A.J. Burnett and Jeff Locke backed up by the excellent bullpen anchored by Jason Grilli and Mark Melancon.

We love the 2026 offense, but some more of that 2013 or 1971 or 1960 run prevention seasons would be appreciated.

Rich Rhoades is the sports editor of the Jeffersonian Democrat and Leader-Vindicator in New Bethlehem. E-mail: rrhoades@thecourierexpress.com and Follow him on Facebook or on X @TheSkinny1969.