BREAKING NEWS: Pittsburgh Pirates key player rival Cardinals has terminated his contract that worth $66.2 million with…

The Pittsburgh Pirates won four of six games of their last home stand against the Los Angeles Dodgers and Minnesota Twins and will now shift their focus to their division rival, the St. Louis Cardinals,

After taking four of six games from the Los Angeles Dodgers and Minnesota Twins, there is some slightly reinvigorated life surrounding the Pittsburgh Pirates as they enter this week with a 31-34 record.

While its still early in the month of June, the Pirates have played some strong baseball this month, especially offensively, averaging 5.25 runs per game. The starting pitching has still been strong, and the bullpen has been better after struggling for much of the season.

That being said, despite the 31-34 record, the Pirates still find themselves fifth, technically, in the NL Central, 7.5 games back of the Milwaukee Brewers. Thanks to MLB’s recent playoff evolutions, though, they are just one game back of the Wild Card as the San Francisco Giants, with a 33-34 record, are currently the third Wild Card team.

Notably, there are six teams all within two games of the final Wild Card spot, and four of them are from the NL Central. Yes, that’s correct, as of June 11, 2024, all five NL Central teams are either in the playoffs or within two games of a playoff spot, which could create an exciting race as the calendar guides us through the summer, past the trade deadline, and into the final two months of the regular season.

One of those teams ahead of the Pirates is, of course, the St. Louis Cardinals, who the Pirates will now get to an opportunity to jump in the standings this week.