It is September in a pennant chase, so every game is important. However, the finale in the series with the Philadelphia Phillies just became even more important for the Pittsburgh Pirates. A win today pulls them to within 2.5 games of the first place St. Louis Cardinals. It also gives them a positive result on this road trip, which is not usual for the team.
A win today gives the Pirates a 6-4 record on the most recent road trip after being swept by the Cardinals in the first three games. They are 32-41 on the road this year, so a positive road trip in September is welcomed. It could give them confidence ahead of their last road trip of the year, which will likely determine if the Pirates see postseason action this year. As it stands now they would travel to San Francisco for the Wild Card game as well. A positive finish today could translate into the playoffs.
The Cardinals also have a favorable schedule coming up. They finish the season with the Rockies, Brewers, Reds, Cubs and Diamondbacks. Those teams are a combined 17-33 over each of their respective last 10 games. The chances of St. Louis faltering much more in the last few weeks of the season are minimal. The Pirates need a win tonight to possibly climb out of a Wild Card spot and into the division lead.
Pirates fans should hope that manager Clint Hurdle and the team are not thinking like this. They should be focusing on taking care of their own business. They have a tougher schedule and more pressure in the standings. If they want to ease that pressure, a win tonight is a good place to start.