Last night was the Pirates’ 110th game.
In the Pirates’ 110th game of 2011, they entered with a chance to get back to .500 despite a six-game losing streak. The Cubs took an early 4-0 lead, but the Pirates piled back on with six runs in the bottom of the fourth. The bullpen gave up three runs in the eighth inning and the Pirates lost 7-6. They fell seven games behind the Brewers, and they never had a chance to get back to .500 again.
In the Pirates’ 110th game of 2012, they gave the Diamondbacks a 2-0 lead early on, but fought back to take a 4-2 lead. They gave that lead up, too, but put three more runs on the board to go up 7-4. The bullpen and the defense tried to blow the lead, but the Pirates held on and won 7-6. They’re 16 games above .500, 2 1/2 behind the Reds, 3 1/2 up on the Cardinals for the final playoff spot.
These Pirates are not last year’s Pirates. If you’re a long-time WHYGAVS reader, you know that I’ve always said that 82 wins shouldn’t be a goal, but a landmark to pass on the way to something bigger. The Pirates only need 19 wins in their last 52 games to get to 82; it’s time to dream about something bigger.
