Pirates Add More Momentum to Playoff Push
PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Pirates took down the Philadelphia Phillies for the second straight game, winning the series and keeping them in the National League Wild Card race.
The Pirates relied on power to win the ballgame 4-1 with home runs from designated Andrew McCutchen and a two-run shot from shortstop Oneil Cruz. Right-handed starting pitcher Luis Oritz also went seven innings scoreless, and a good bullpen perforamnce solidified the victory.
The Pirates have won six straight games, eight of their past nine games and nine of their past 12 contests, splitting a home series with the New York Mets, taking two games out of three against NL Central rival in the Milwaukee Brewers and then sweeping the MLB-worst Chicago White Sox, with the latter two series on the road.
This win marks another series win for the Pirates, taking it off their rival and the holders of the best record in the MLB in the Phillies.
It makes it three straight series wins, the second time this season for the Pirates since they won the three opening series, against the Miami Marlins and Washington Nationals on the road and the Baltimore Orioles at home.
NL Wild Card Standings (Team: Record + Games Ahead/Back +Win %)
No. 4 Atlanta Braves: 54-43/+4 games ahead/.558
No. 5 St. Louis Cardinals: 51-47/+0.5 games ahead/.521
No. 6 New York Mets: 50-47/level/.510
No. 7 Arizona Diamondbacks: 51-48/level/.510
No. 8 Pittsburgh Pirates: 50-48/0.5 games back/.500
No. 9 San Diego Padres: 51-50/1 game back/.500
No. 10 San Francisco Giants: 47-52/3 games back/.480
No. 11 Cincinnati Reds: 47-52/4 games back/.480
No. 12 Chicago Cubs: 47-53/4 games back//.475
The Pirates end up staying just a half game out of the final wild card spot and the No. 6 spot in the National League.
The New York Mets bounced back to defeat the Marlins on the road and the Arizona Diamondbacks took their second game off the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field, keeping the Pirates at No. 8.
The Atlanta Braves and St. Louis Cardinals split a double-header, which dropped their leads a half-game.
The San Diego Padres stay just a game back after they got revenge and defeated the Cleveland Guardians on the road, 7-0.
The San Francisco Giants, Cincinnati Reds and Cubs dropped their series against the Colorado Rockies, Washington Nationals and Diamondbacks, respectively, pushing them further down the National League Wild Card Standings.
Pirates Schedule Ahead
The Pirates have an incredibly difficult schedule ahead, including one more game at home against the MLB-best record holders in the Philllies.
They host the Cardinals after the Phillies and then face the Diamondbacks and Houston Astros on the road. They will take on the Diamondbacks and Padres at home, then they'll head back out west to face the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Padres. They return home to face AL West leading Seattle Mariners, then travel to the reigning World Series Champions in the Texas Rangers.
Two series at home against the Nationals and the Marlins at home in September will serve as the only teams that aren't in postseason contension the rest of the season.
While the schedule ahead is daunting, the Pirates have a great pitching staff that have played an important role in their recent winning ways.
This includes starters in rookies in All-Star Paul Skenes and Jared Jones, Mitch Keller and Bailey Falter, plus bullpen arms in David Bednar, Colin Holderman, Carmen Mlodzinski, Kyle Nicolas and Dennis Santana that all work together to make one of the best pitching staffs in the MLB.
If the Pirates can get some more offense going in the coming series, they have a chance to make a run at their first postseason since 2015.
DOMINIC CAMPBELL