In our daily Wake-Up Call, we get you ready for the day with a complete look at all things Pittsburgh Pirates.
After starting their stretch run with a 6-3 victory over Milwaukee last night, the Pittsburgh Pirates are down to just a dozen games left in the 2016 season.
The club evened out its season record at 75-75, and remains 4.5 games out of the NL Wild Card.
Over the past few days, many have drawn a parallel between these Pirates and the 2011 Tampa Bay Rays. That team finished the season 91-71, and used a final flurry to sneak into the AL Playoffs by one game over the Boston Red Sox.
That Rays team did so against the 97-win New York Yankees and the 81-81 Toronto Blue Jays, so they definitely earned the trip.
The issue with this comparison is the deficit that the Rays had to make up was far less than what the Pittsburgh Pirates are currently faced with. The Rays were neck and neck with the Red Sox for most of the last month of the 2011 season. Though they are just 4.5 games back, the Pirates will have to have a little more help than those Rays did.
In short, the flicker of hope still shines, though the candle is rapidly melting away.
Yesterday’s Player of The Game
After each game – win or lose – we take to our twitter feed and ask you for your player of the game. Here is last night’s result:
#RaiseIt The Pirates beat the Brewers 6-3 in game one of the series. Who is your player of the game?
— Jason Rollison (@jrollisonpgh) September 21, 2016
Baseball Talk on the Web
- File this as a positive for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Apparently, Bryce Harper is playing hurt.
- File this as more good news for the Pirates. Johnny Cueto will undergo an MRI for a groin injury.
- File this as excellent news for the Pirates. Jacob deGrom will undergo elbow surgery.
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