Postseason preview: How high will Pittsburgh raise the Jolly Roger?
(Editor's note: We'll analyze each team's postseason chances after it clinches a playoff berth.)
Considering how red hot the Pittsburgh Pirates have been since June, it's no surprise that on Wednesday night they became the second team in the majors to clinch a playoff berth. (Following the division-rival Cardinals, naturally.) They began the day with a magic number of just one after they won and the Washington Nationals lost on Tuesday night (the San Francisco Giants' win on Tuesday merely delayed the clinching celebration).
With a record of 92-60, the Pirates would win any other division in the majors this season ... but being in the NL Central with the Cardinals means the Pirates are probably headed for a second-place finish — at best. As a result, Clint Hurdle's Bucs will likely take on another familiar foe — the third-place Chicago Cubs — in the NL Wild Card Game in order to advance to potentially take on the Cardinals.
The bottom line: Regardless of how the rest of September plays out, the NL Central will be heavily involved come October. Here’s an early look at the Pirates’ playoff chances.
Why they can win the World Series: They're hungry. After a thrilling regular season netted them the top NL wild-card spot in 2014, they ran into the buzz saw that was Madison Bumgarner (the same buzz saw that crushed the Kansas City Royals' hopes in Game 7 of the World Series). It's likely there won't be a Bumgarner to squash the Pirates' dreams this season, and if they're able to beat the Cubs and (probably) Jake Arrieta in the NL Wild Card Game, they'd be in a good position heading into the NLDS. If they go on to face the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Pirates just went 2-1 in a three-game set in LA and are 5-1 against them overall this season.
Pitching is crucial in the playoffs, and the Pirates have the majors' fifth-best rotation ERA and best bullpen ERA. Ace Gerrit Cole can match up against the opposition's No. 1, and closer Mark Melancon leads the majors in saves.
Oh yeah, and they also have Andrew McCutchen.
Why they can't win the World Series: The loss of infielder Jung Ho Kang could hurt, as he was a big factor in their second-half charge toward locking up a postseason spot. Additionally, the Bucs have scuffled a bit in September after a stellar June-to-August span that saw them go 17-9, 17-9 and 19-8, respectively. They're also much better at PNC Park this season (50-25) than they are on the road (42-35), and would be faced with a majority of road games as a wild-card team.
The Pirates also would have to get through their NL Central rival Cardinals in the NLDS. Pittsburgh is 8-8 against St. Louis this season, but Mike Matheny's team has maintained its division lead nearly the entire season. The Cardinals are proven October veterans — five consecutive postseason appearances — and would be a big challenge to the Bucs, if they do indeed match up with St. Louis after the Wild Card Game.
