How Pirates Control Their Own Playoff Destiny
Gone are the days when the Pittsburgh Pirates find themselves outside of the playoff race heading into the homestretch of the season.
At 56-55, Pittsburgh trails the San Diego Padres by four games for the third wild card spot. Last season, it took the Pirates until Aug. 21 to win 56 games, and in 2022, they didn't reach that mark until Sept. 24 in the midst of a 100-loss season.
The Pirates have made vast improvement in search of their first playoff berth since 2015. If they're going to play meaningful baseball in October for the first time in nine years, they'll have a pivotal opportunity over the next week to make up some much-needed ground.
Over Pittsburgh's next nine games, it plays the Padres (61-52) six times. The two teams square off in a three-game series that starts on Tuesday at PNC Park before having to make the trip to San Diego for another three-game set that begins on Monday. The chance for a team to control their destiny in a playoff race is one they often covet, and facing the Padres in two of their next three series represents just that for the Pirates.
Pittsburgh's path to positioning itself for a playoff spot between its six games against San Diego doesn't get any easier, as it has to go on the road to face the Los Angeles Dodgers (66-47) this upcoming weekend. The following weekend, the Pirates host the AL West-leading Seattle Mariners (59-54) for three games.
Finding a way to make up ground on the Padres in the next week will be critical to Pittsburgh's playoff hopes. If the Pirates can find a way to go 4-2 or better against San Diego, their path toward the playoffs becomes much more viable. Of Pittsburgh's remaining 45 games after facing the Padres next week, 22 are against teams above .500. For San Diego, 31 of its remaining 40 games after playing the Pirates are against teams at or above .500, including a four-game set against the New York Mets, who trail the Padres by 1.5 games for the final wild card spot.
The Mets face a similarly treacherous path to San Diego, as beginning on Aug. 16, 26 of their 41 games remaining games are against teams over .500. New York's final 16 games are especially brutal with 13 of them coming against the Philadelphia Phillies, Milwaukee Brewers and Atlanta Braves.
Four straight series' against teams currently in a playoff spot is a tall task for any team, let alone one that has gone 31-38 against teams above .500 this season. The upcoming 12-game stretch represents a crux in the road for a Pittsburgh team in the middle of its first playoff race together. Whether this season is an important building block toward the future for the Pirates or one in which they have a shot at playing postseason baseball may be tied to how they fare against the Padres, Dodgers and Mariners.
NATHANIEL MARRERO