Yes, the Pirates got swept for the first time in more than two months and for only the fourth time all season. And, yes, the team looked awful in all facets of the game in Colorado, with poor pitching, hitting and horrendous fielding. But the fact remains that the Pirates have done plenty more sweeping this year than being swept, as evidenced by the team's 70-47 record. And the fact also remains that this team is all but assured of making the playoffs, as evidenced by Baseball Prospectus giving the Pirates a 99.1-percent chance of making the postseason.
The Pirates have 45 games remaining on their schedule, with 21 games left against teams with winning records and 24 games left against teams with losing records. The Bucs have 28 games left against teams from their division, including several helpings of games against Chicago and Milwaukee. They have a 10.5-game lead on Arizona for the last wild-card spot, and would have to go 10-35 the rest of the way to finish with a losing record.
Face it. It would take an unbelievable set of circumstances for this team to miss the playoffs, even when you factor in the epic collapses of years past. The question, especially if the team keeps winning at a decent pace, will soon shift to not if the Pirates will make the playoffs, but also who they'll play and how they'll respond.
The Pirates have 45 games remaining on their schedule, with 21 games left against teams with winning records and 24 games left against teams with losing records. The Bucs have 28 games left against teams from their division, including several helpings of games against Chicago and Milwaukee. They have a 10.5-game lead on Arizona for the last wild-card spot, and would have to go 10-35 the rest of the way to finish with a losing record.
Face it. It would take an unbelievable set of circumstances for this team to miss the playoffs, even when you factor in the epic collapses of years past. The question, especially if the team keeps winning at a decent pace, will soon shift to not if the Pirates will make the playoffs, but also who they'll play and how they'll respond.
Pirates are the real deal. Top to bottom, they have it all. Cannot wait to watch playoff baseball(on TV) back in Pittsburgh for the first time in 21 years. Their fans certainly deserve it. The Cleveland fans deserve it too, but i don't care if they get in or not, the city of Cleveland is horrible.
