Pirates Go For Sweep, Aim to Keep Pace in NL Wild-Card Race

The Pittsburgh Pirates just won't go away in the crowded National League wild-card race.

After another win over the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday, the Pirates will be going for a sweep of the AL Central leaders on Thursday. Pittsburgh has seen its offense come to life in this series, scoring 13 runs over the first two games.

The Pirates still have work to do in the race to get back into the race, but every win helps. Pirates infielder Jared Triolo weighed in on the situation in front of the team as they prepare for the finale with the White Sox.

“[It’s] late in the year, but we're still in it,” Triolo said. “I think everybody has a role, and yeah, just trying to do it well. It's been fun. Obviously, winning series is good, and I hear we need to go for a sweep tomorrow. So that's kind of the plan.”

As Pittsburgh gets ready for the game, the team has released the lineup against Chicago. Right-hander Jared Jones will go for Pittsburgh in this game, looking to set the tone.

Jones has a 4.46 ERA over 17 starts this season for the Pirates. The right-hander went six innings without allowing a run, while striking out nine batters in his last outing against the Los Angeles Angels.

The Pirates are 5.0 games back of the final wild-card spot coming into this game against the White Sox. The Arizona Diamondbacks and San Diego Padres are ahead of them in the standings, putting more pressure on the Pirates.

But this team isn't giving up, looking to go on a magical run to end the regular season.

After missing the playoffs since 2015, Pittsburgh is entering a reality that they haven't seen in some time. This group of players doesn't care about the recent history of the franchise, but rather, what they can accomplish themselves.

“Focus on what we can control,” Griffin said. “Nothing matters unless we win games here.”

After the finale with the White Sox, the Pirates will be taking on the Chicago Cubs for a three-game series. This matchup could be huge, with the Cubs currently holding onto a wild-card spot.

Pittsburgh's chances may be low of getting into the playoffs, but they still have a chance with a few weeks left to go. All this team can do is put their best foot forward, hoping to get some help from the teams sitting ahead of them.