Pirates Playoff Hopes Fading Quickly
In this story:
PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates are in their worst slump of the season and it's threatening to ruin their chances of playing meaningful baseball in the fall.
The Pirates have gone 8-15 since the All-Star break, have lost their past six series, 6-14 in their past 20 games and are now 58-62 on the season.
It's the first time the Pirates are four games below .500 and it also comes off losing two of three games to the New York Mets, one of the worst teams in baseball, at home.
The Pirates have to start winning soon, or they'll quickly be too far back to make up ground in the National League Wild Card standings.
National League Wild Card Standings after Mets Series
Team | Record | Games Ahead/Back |
|---|---|---|
Chicago Cubs | 69-50 (.580) | +6.0 |
Arizona Diamondbacks | 63-56 (.529) | - |
Philadelphia Philies | 63-56 (.529) | - |
San Diego Padres | 62-57 (.521) | 1.0 |
Miami Marlins | 60-59 (.504) | 3.0 |
St. Louis Cardinals | 59-59 (.500) | 3.5 |
Washington Nationals | 59-61 (.492) | 4.5 |
Pittsburgh Pirates | 58-62 (.483) | 5.5 |
Cincinnati Reds | 56-61 (.479) | 6.0 |
The Pirates are now five and a half games back in the NL Wild Card standings, presenting an incredibly difficult challenge ahead of them.
Pittsburgh lost two of three games to both the Chicago Cubs and Arizona Diamondbacks on their six-game homestand, July 24-29, while also dropping three of four games to the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park, July 30-Aug. 2.
They also lost two of three games to the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium, July 20 and July 22, and three of four games to the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field, Aug. 3-6.
Pittsburgh is now the fifth team vying for that third spot for the NL Wild Card, with the San Diego Padres, Miami Marlins, St. Louis Cardinals and Washington Nationals ahead of them.
The Cubs are six games ahead of both the Diamondbacks and the Philadelphia Phillies, who are both looking to create separation ahead of the others near them.
It's almost wild to think that after the Pirates won the series opener over the Diamondbacks on July 27 in extra innings, they held the third spot in the Wild Card standings and are now so far down.
Can the Pirates Actually Make Ground and Earn a Wild Card Spot?
The Pirates still have 42 games remaining, six weeks left of baseball that they have to overtake those teams ahead of them.
Pittsburgh does get a chance to face a few of these teams, with road series vs. the Marlins at loanDepot Park, Aug. 11-13, and the Padres at Petco Park, Aug. 24-26, and taking on the Cardinals at Busch Stadium, Aug. 28-30, and at PNC Park, Sept. 22-24.
The Pirates could benefit from those series, but also could fall further out of contention, if they lose those games too.
Pittsburgh does get a few teams near the bottom of MLB standings at home, in the Los Angeles Angels (45-73), San Francisco Giants (49-69) and Kansas City Royals (49-70), but they also face the Los Angeles Dodgers (70-48), Cubs and Chicago White Sox (61-56) on the road and the Brewers at home.
It's a long few weeks for the Pirates, but a strong series against the Marlins would help them greatly and it's an incredibly crucial three games for them.
Add us as a preferred source on Google
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.