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It was a miserable weekend in Chicago for the Pittsburgh Pirates
Entering the Major League Baseball All-Star Break few teams were riding as high as the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Pirates were 14-7 in their final 21 games prior to the break. This 21 game stretch included going 5-1-1 in 7 series played.
The team’s 14-7 stretch pulled them to within a game of .500 at 44-45. Most importantly, it put them just 2.5 games behind the National League Central leading Chicago Cubs.
To kick off the unofficial second half of the season the Pirates played a three-game series at Wrigley Field against said Cubs. Unfortunately, the Pirates could not continue their strong play from before the break as they were swept by the Cubbies.
After being swept by the Cubs, the Pirates are now 44-48 on the season. However, they’re still lingering around in postseason contention. Despite now being 5.5 games behind the Cubs for first place in the division, the Pirates remain just 3.5 out in the NL Wild Card hunt.
Following the series loss, the Pirates are now 14-12-4 in the 30 series they have played this season. Despite having a winning record in series played, their overall record remains below .500 due to the team having been swept seven times this season, including a trio of 4-game series sweeps.
Next up for the Pirates is an important three-game series against the St. Louis Cardinals. But first, let’s take a look back at three key takeaways from being swept by the Cubs.