Pirates Division Hopes Lie With the Cardinals

The Pirates Find Themselves in Foreign Territory...
1st Place

The Pittsburgh Pirates are a streaky team.  They win 4 or 5 in a row, then lose 2 or 3 in a row.  It just seems that is the way the cookies have crumbled this season.  Alot of Pirates fans, experts, and talking heads dubbed the 5 game series between the Cardinals and the Pirates as the "Biggest Series in PNC Park History".  Its hard to argue that fact, but lets be honest, that will be leapfrogged THIS YEAR.  What series will be more important?  How about the NEXT time the Cardinals come to town??  The Pirates currently have a 3 game lead over the Cardinals as they travel to St. Louis for a 3 game set starting tonight. 

The Pirates fan base is clamoring with this team.  Talks of a "magical season" and "destiny" are abounding the shores of the Allegheny, Monongahala, and the Ohio rivers, but there are bigger fish to fry, and bigger games await.  Talk of "The Streak" ending have certainly subsided with talk of the actual chance the Pirates could snag the division.  Luckily for the Pirates, they control their own destiny.  The Pirates play the Cardinals 9 times for the duration of this season.  Sure, alot can change between each Cardinals series, but if the Pirates continue to play consistent baseball, and winning baseball, then it will truly come down to the Pirates and Cardinals for the division. 

How the Pirates play the Cardinals will be the deciding factor in the NL Central division, in my opinion.  If the "domination" continues with the Pirates defeating the Cardinals, then that 3 game lead will only extend itself.  That is something that every Pirate player, fan, or coach is desperately looking for at this point in the season.  The Cardinals are a team that is vulnerable.  Not only is their All Star Catcher still not on the active roster, but they've had several pitchers go down with minor injuries that will force them to miss significant time.  Lets play the "Big Picture" game.  If the Pirates are able to take 2 of 3 from the Cardinals in St. Louis, that would extend their division lead to 5 games.  At that point, with a 5 game lead, the Pirates could possibly be pushing the Cardinals to 3rd place in the NL Central with the Reds starting to heat up and only 1.5 games behind the Cardinals for 2nd place.

What Pirates fans can hang their hat on RIGHT NOW is that the Battlin' Bucs control their destiny.  It isn't a scenario where the Pirates are constantly staring up at the Reds or Cardinals...having to scoreboard watch and hoping that a team hits a cold spell.  No, the Pirates are the team that is the front runner.  This is a new identity for a young team that has never been in this position before.  How will the team handle playing in BIG GAMES in September?  How will the pitching hold up when the games become more relevant?  Well, these questions can only be answered with time...but I think everyone reading this will agree...aren't they nice questions to ask for once??