The Pirates forced the entire baseball world to notice them this week by beating the Cardinals four times in a row. As a result, some of my favorite national writers have written about them.
At FanGraphs, Dave Cameron talks about how the Pirates aren't regressing this year and that maybe it's time to stop expecting them to fall apart.
At SB Nation, Grant Brisbee looks at how the Pirates were constructed and how things have had to come together to make 2013 into the team that they are now, and ruminates on how things would've fallen apart under previous front offices.
At Grantland, Jonah Keri looks at the performances of the Pirates and Cardinals with runners in scoring position, both at the plate and on the mound, and all of the various factors that affect those things.
All three pieces are worth your time. It's Friday afternoon, and the Pirates are in first place. You weren't thinking about work, anyway.
