The Pittsburgh Pirates left Philadelphia still in the NL Wild Card mix, and they did it by showing they can hang with one of the teams they’re chasing.
Pittsburgh split a four-game road series with the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park, taking the opener 11-7 on June 29 and the finale 6-1 on July 2. The Pirates dropped the middle two games, falling 8-0 on June 30 and 10-6 on July 1.
That’s not a perfect result, but it’s a useful one. The Phillies are one of the clubs expected to push for the National League East, and the Pirates proved they can at least trade punches with playoff-caliber competition.
At 44-44, Pittsburgh sits three games behind the third and final NL Wild Card spot. That spot is currently held by the NL Central rival St. Louis Cardinals, who are 45-39.
The Wild Card picture around them is crowded. The Pirates are one of three .500 teams in the chase, joined by the Arizona Diamondbacks and San Diego Padres, both at 43-43 and also three games back. The Miami Marlins are just a game out at 46-42, while the Washington Nationals are two back after winning back-to-back games against the Boston Red Sox.
At the top of the standings, the Cubs lead the pack at 49-38, 2.5 games ahead. The Phillies are right behind at 49-39 and two games ahead of the Cardinals.
Philadelphia may also be in position to catch the Atlanta Braves for first place in the NL East. The Braves have dropped eight of their last 10, while the Phillies have gone 7-3 over that same stretch.
Now the Pirates turn to a key series this weekend against the Nationals at Nationals Park, July 3-5. That gives Pittsburgh a chance to jump a team sitting directly in the Wild Card race.
The schedule only gets heavier from there. Before the All-Star break, the Pirates have one final homestand against the Braves, July 7-9, and then the Brewers, who are 53-32 and second-best in the NL.
They also have road matchups with the Guardians, who are 46-42 and lead the AL Central, and the Yankees, who are 48-38 and atop the AL East. Later in July, Pittsburgh hosts the Cubs and Diamondbacks from July 24-29.
August brings more of the same. The Pirates head to Milwaukee for a four-game set Aug. 3-6, visit the Marlins Aug. 11-13, and then go on a nine-game road trip from Aug. 21-30 against the Dodgers, Padres and Cardinals.
It’s a demanding stretch, but it also gives Pittsburgh plenty of chances to prove it belongs in the race and can take wins from the teams around it.
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