Pirates Standing in NL Wild Card Race After Red Sox Series
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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates haven't played up to their standards in the second half of the season, but showed that they aren't done fighting just yet.
The Pirates earned a series win over the Boston Red Sox at PNC Park this past weekend, winning two games out of three, with an 8-4 win in the series opener on Aug. 14 and then an 8-3 victory in the series finale on Aug. 16.
It marked the first series win for the Pirates since they also took two out of three games against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field, July 18-19, as they had suffered seven straight series defeats and went 7-15 in that time.
The Pirates aren't in the greatest position, but they still have a chance to make the postseason in 2026.
NL Wild Card Standings After Red Sox Series
Team | Standings | Games Ahead/Back |
|---|---|---|
Chicago Cubs | 72-53 (.576) | +5.0 |
Philadelphia Phillies | 67-58 (.536) | - |
San Diego Padres | 67-58 (.536) | - |
Arizona Diamondbacks | 66-59 (.528) | 1.0 |
Miami Marlins | 64-61 (.512) | 3.0 |
St. Louis Cardinals | 63-61 (.508) | 3.5 |
Pittsburgh Pirates | 61-65 (.484) | 6.5 |
Cincinnati Reds | 59-64 (.480) | 7.0 |
Washington Nationals | 60-66 (.476) | 7.5 |
The Pirates find themselves at 61-65 and 6.5 games back in the National League Wild Card standings with 36 games remaining.
Pittsburgh was down as bad as 58-64 last week, but three wins in their past four games have gotten them a better record, but no closer to that third NL Wild Card spot.
The Chicago Cubs are the only sure team at this point for the postseason, five games ahead of everyone else.
Both the Philadelphia Phillies and San Diego Padres are tied for the second and third spots, the Arizona Diamondbacks are one game back and both the Miami Marlins and the St. Louis Cardinals are three games back and three-and-a-half games back, respectively.
All of those teams have winning records and the Diamondbacks are the only team not over .500 in their past 10 games.
The Pirates fall more into the category of the Cincinnati Reds, seven games back, and the Washington Nationals, seven-and-a-half games back, where they'll need to go on an incredible run to actually seriously push for the postseason.
Who the Pirates Face in the Coming Weeks
The Pirates have a balanced schedule in the final six weeks of the regular season, where they'll face some top teams and also some of the worst.
Pittsburgh goes on a nine-game road trip and faces the NL West-leading Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodgers Stadium, Aug. 21-23, then Wild Card foes in the Padres at Petco Park, Aug. 24-26, and the Cardinals at Busch Stadium, Aug. 28-30.
The Pirates then also battle both Chicago teams in the American League Central-leading White Sox at Rate Field, Sept. 8-10, and the Cubs at Wrigley Field, Sept. 11-13.
Pittsburgh will host the NL Central-leading Milwaukee Brewers, Sept. 15-17, and the Cardinals, Sept. 22-24 in the final homestand of the season.
The Pirates do get to face three of the worst teams in baseball, with a six-game homestand against the San Francisco Giants and the Los Angeles Angels, Sept. 1-6, and then also host the Kansas City Royals, Sept. 18-20.
Pittsburgh will continue their schedule with a three-game series against the Detroit Tigers, Aug. 17-19, who they then face in the final series of the season at Comerica Park, Sept. 25-27.
The Tigers, who are 60-64, are somehow just one game back for the third spot in the AL Wild Card standings, so those two series will be important as well.
It's not an easy road for the Pirates, but they have to start a winning streak now if they want any chance of playing meaningful baseball this fall.
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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.