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Pittsburgh Pirates Prepare For Final Homestand Of The Season
By Marty Leap
Tonight the Pittsburgh Pirates begin a seven game homestand. This will be the Pirates’ last seven home games of the 2016 season.
With ten games remaining in the 2016 Major League Baseball season the Pittsburgh Pirates find themselves with a 76-76 record. While the 2016 season has not gone as many fans had hoped, it is encouraging to see the Pirates finishing the season strong. Hopefully, this strong play will continue and they can finish over .500 for a fourth consecutive season.
The Pirates are coming off a three city, eleven game road trip. On this road trip the Pirates went 7-4. However, they will face much stiffer competition during this final homestand of the season.
First up on the homestand ware the Washington Nationals. The Nationals enter this series with a record of 89-63. That is the second best record in the National League behind the Chicago Cubs. Furthermore, the Nationals will be looking to clinch the National League East this weekend.
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In recent years this has been a series dominated by the home team. The past three seasons the home team is 13-3 in this series. This includes the Nationals take two of three from the Pirates down in the nation’s capital back in July. The Pirates will play three with the Nats beginning tonight at 7:05 when Jameson Taillon opposing Gio Gonzalez.
After hosting the Nats, the Pittsburgh Pirates will face baseball’s best team one last time this season. On Monday the Chicago Cubs come to PNC Park to start a four game series. The Pirates are just 3-12 against the Cubs this season.
Despite this poor record the Pirates have played the Cubs tough in recent match ups. The last time these two teams played at PNC Park the Pirates took two of three from Chicago. And in their last series, played at Wrigley Field in August, the Cubs scored a pair of one run wins in their sweep. This included a walk off win in 13 innings.
I will be happy if the Pittsburgh Pirates can go 4-3 on this homestand. I would love to see the Pirates finish this season with a winning record. However, with their remaining schedule that will not be easy.