Pittsburgh Pirates series takeaways vs. St. Louis Cardinals

Aug 12, 2015; St. Louis, MO, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates pinch hitter Michael Mofrse (31) walks off the field after making the final out of the game against the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium. The Cardinals won 4-2. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

The Pittsburgh Pirates played three straight nationally televised games against the Los Angeles Dodgers and won all three. The Pirates stretch of playing playoff contenders started very well as they went 4-1 in their first five games. Splitting a rain shortened two game series against the Cubs and sweeping the Dodgers back to LA.

The Pirate then turned their attention to the St. Louis Cardinals for a three game road series. Nothing can be decided in August, but any time the two best teams in the National League square off, it’s always a big deal. The Pirates entered the series five games out of first place in the NL Central and were looking to gain ground on their arch-rival.

The Pirates looked to Jeff Locke to kick off the series and finally win a game in Busch Stadium.

Next: Game One: Jeff Locke vs. Carlos Martinez