But entering this weekend's homestand with Milwaukee, the Pirates are tied with St. Louis for the best record in baseball (48-30) and for first place in the National League Central.
Of course, Pittsburgh has been down a similar road. Over the last two seasons, the Pirates have had winning records entering the All-Star Break, only to then fall apart when the weight of a pennant race crashed upon them.
What might make this season different is Pittsburgh's pitching staff. With rookie Gerrit Cole (3-0, 3.44 ERA) joining a staff that also includes second-year sensation Jeff Locke (7-1, 2.06 ERA), Wandy Rodriguez (6-4, 3.59 ERA) and A.J. Burnett (3.12 ERA, 99 strikeouts), the Pirates have developed one of the top rotations in baseball. Plus, Jason Grilli (26 saves in 27 chances) has been solid in his first full year as Pittsburgh's closer.
What could become Pittsburgh's Achilles heel is its offense. Other than Andrew McCutchen's solid contributions (.287 batting average, 23 doubles, eight home runs, 38 RBI and 15 stolen bases) and Pedro Alvarez's powerful swing (19 homers, 51 RBI), the Pirates are struggling at the plate -- a .242 team batting average (24th in the majors), a .392 slugging percentage (19th) and 306 runs scored (20th).
Ultimately, Pittsburgh's ability to stay in the NL Central race will depend on how it plays against St. Louis and Cincinnati down the stretch. The Pirates have 14 games against St. Louis between July 29 and Sept. 8, and they face Cincinnati nine times after the All-Star Break. So far, they have an 8-6 record against their closest divisional competition.
So, let's not speak of Pittsburgh's playoff potential just yet. We've seen the Pirates sink below the .500 mark when they appeared ready to end their streak of losing seasons each of the past two years. It can happen again.
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