The Pittsburgh Pirates aren’t going to the playoffs this year (and haven’t been since 2015), but this week’s series against the Cincinnati Reds gave their young core a taste of what October baseball feels like.
The Pirates battled the Cincinnati Reds — who are fighting for a Wild Card spot — in a trio of tense games at Great American Ball Park this week. All three were tight, low-scoring games decided by two runs or less, including a pair of one-run games (one of which went 11 innings).
Despite struggling on the road this year, Pittsburgh played great baseball and took two of three from the red-hot Reds — who entered the series on a five-game winning streak.
Pirates manager Don Kelly was proud of his team’s resilience and overall performance in a high-pressure atmosphere against a division rival.
“That was a great baseball series. Well-played on both sides,” Kelly told SportsNet Pittsburgh after Thursday’s 2-1 loss. “The defensive effort, the pitching effort, offensively finding ways to come through…That was a playoff atmosphere, and I thought we responded really, really well.”
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After struggling for much of September, Pittsburgh has turned things around lately, winning four of its last five games. The Pirates will try to end their season on a high note this weekend in Atlanta against the Braves, who have also been eliminated from postseason contention.
While neither team has much to play for, it will be Pittsburgh’s final chance to make a statement before the offseason.
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Featured image via Kim Klement Neitzel/Imagn Images