Pirates Still Fighting for NL Wild Card Spot After Nationals Series
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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates have worked hard this season to try and end their long posteason drought and their recent good play has kept them in the right place in early July.
The Pirates took two out of three games against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park this July 4th weekend, winning a big road series over another team in the race for the National League Wild Card.
Pittsburgh lost the series opener 9-5 on July 3, but then relied on great offense to win 7-1 in the next game on July 4 and then came through late to win 11-5 in the series finale on July 5.
It was a strong weekend for the Pirates, but they still face formidable competition for a spot in the playoffs.
Pirates Position in NL Wild Card Race After Nationals Series
Team | Record (%) | Wild Card GA/GB |
|---|---|---|
Chicago Cubs | 50-40 (.556) | +1.5 |
Philadelphia Phillies | 50-40 (.556) | +1.5 |
St. Louis Cardinals | 47-40 (.540) | -- |
Miami Marlins | 49-42 (.538) | -- |
Pittsburgh Pirates | 46-45 (.505) | 3.0 |
Washington Nationals | 46-45 (.505) | 3.0 |
Arizona Diamondbacks | 44-45 (.494) | 4.0 |
San Diego Padres | 44-45 (.494) | 4.0 |
The Pirates overtook the Nationals in the standings, but still stand three games back of the third and final NL Wild Card spot, where the St. Louis Cardinals are at 47-40, after taking two out of three games against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field.
St. Louis isn't alone there, as the Miami Marlins are essentially tied with them at 49-42, after their sweep of the Athletics at Sutter Health Park this weekend, showing that their MLB-best 20-6 record in June wasn't a fluke.
Both the Cubs and the Philadelphia Phillies occupy the top two spots and are 1.5 games ahead of everyone else at 50-40.
The Pirates split a four-game road series with the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park, June 29-July 2, and the Phillies are looking to win a road series against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium.
Pittsburgh does have the same record as Washington, but holds the tie breaker, after they split the four-game series at PNC Park, April 13-16, giving Pittsburgh a 4-3 season series record.
Both NL West teams in the Arizona Diamondbacks and San Diego Padres won just one of three games this weekend, against the Milwaukee Brewers at Chase Field and the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodgers Stadium, respectively.
The Diamondbacks and Padres are both below .500 and are four games back in the NL Wild Card Race.
Pirates Continue Tough Stretch Against Great Opponents
It doesn't get any easier for the Pirates this week, as they host the Atlanta Braves, July 7-9, and the Brewers, July 10-12, at PNC Park before the All-Star break.
The Braves swept the Pirates at Truist Park, June 5-7, and sit on top of the NL East at 52-36, while the Brewers are the second-best team in the NL after the Dodgers, at 55-33 and on top of the NL Central.
Pittsburgh benefits from Atlanta not playing as good lately, just three games ahead of the Phillies after a huge lead in the standings earlier on in the season, and won two out of three games in Milwaukee, April 24-26 at American Family Field.
It doesn't get much easier for the Pirates after the All-Star break, as they'll face the Cleveland Guardians (47-44) and New York Yankees (49-40) on the road and then face a number of their fellow NL Wild Card foes a few times as well.
The Pirates getting four wins out of six vs. the Braves and Brewers would be crucial in their quest for an NL Wild Card spot, and they'll realisitically need a winning streak to propel them into that conversation as the season goes on.
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Dominic writes for Pittsburgh Pirates On SI, Pittsburgh Panthers Pn SI and also, Pittsburgh Steelers On SI. A Pittsburgh native, Dominic grew up watching Pittsburgh Sports and wrote for The Pitt News as an undergraduate at the University of Pittsburgh, covering Pitt Athletics. He would write for Pittsburgh Sports Now after college and has years of experience covering sports across Pittsburgh.