Pirates' dominance of Dodgers shouldn't be so shocking based on recent records

On Wednesday night, the Pirates took the Dodgers to task and secured their fourth series win in the last five matchups. (The fifth series ended in a 2-2 split with the Cardinals.) Pittsburgh’s young arms were utterly dominant as the team silenced the potent L.A. lineup and recorded its MLB-best 17th shutout of the year. A casual viewer may be shocked at the Pirates’ success against the reigning champs, but recent history reveals these two teams are trending in opposite directions.

Despite their place at opposite ends of their respective division rankings, the Pirates have been a superior team in the second half of the season. Since the All-Star break, Pittsburgh is 24-19 while L.A. is 20-22. Additionally, the Pirates have turned PNC Park into a formidable atmosphere and have the best home record among teams out of the playoff race. These factors combined to lift the Pirates past the daunting Dodgers this week.

The Pirates’ victories over the World Series champion Dodgers should come as little surprise.

As expected, the heart of the Pirates’ positive results has been their pitching. The Dodgers and Pirates are the top two teams in the Majors in FIP in the second half, thanks to each team’s ability to limit homers and walks while pumping out high-strikeout performances. The bullpen has been grinding; only the Giants’ relievers have logged more innings. The rotation depth continues to grow as Braxton Ashcraft, Mike Burrows, and Bubba Chandler stake their claims in the Majors.

In short, the Pirates have become the team that fans have hoped for ever since Paul Skenes took the mound and ignited the hopes of the city. The question, though, is whether this performance is sustainable. The Dodgers themselves call that into question, as their win percentage has dropped more than 100 points in the second half.

The first-half team that ranked in the top five in virtually every offensive category and in the bottom 20 in pitching has had a complete reversal. Their batting line has dropped from .256/.331/.445 to .242/.324/.417. As the Dodgers have learned, pitching might prevent runs (their second-half ERA is fourth in the Majors), but winning requires you to score runs.

So there is much to celebrate in the Pirates’ second-half success, but there is also much to work on. No matter how strong the pitching staff is in 2026, a team that has the second-worst wRC+, as the Pirates currently do, won’t be able to turn that dominance into wins. Pittsburgh needs to take these late-season wins against the Dodgers as a warning and build toward a well-rounded team to ensure season-long success next year.