If I'm going to take this team seriously again then I need to see this team get on a big time roll these next 2-3 weeks before the All Star Break. Here is the schedule for the Pirates after today's game with the Cubs which they desperately need to win.
4 with the Brewers gotta take 3 out of 4.
3 with the Cards in St Louis gotta win 2 of 3.
3 at home against a mediocre Rays team need 2 of 3.
3 at home against the Giants who stink this year need 2 of 3.
4 at Philly against a terrible Phillies team need 3 of 4.
3 at the Cubs before the break which would be great to get 2 of 3.
If they can win today's game and do everything I just said even before the Cubs series that would give them a record of 13-5 in that stretch of games the next 2-3 weeks which would put them at 44-42 going into the Cubs series before the break. It's a lot to ask but it's very doable and something I need to see this team come close to doing if I am gonna take them seriously in this 2nd half. There are a lot of winnable games on this upcoming schedule that the Pirates better win if they want to be relevant come mid July.
Schedule the next few weeks...
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Schedule the next few weeks...
I hope they can do what you have described, and I want them to win as much as anyone, but I will be shocked if this team goes 5-2 this week at Brewers & Cards.
Schedule the next few weeks...
Maybe 13-5 is a bit of a stretch the next 18 but I don't think 11-7 is a lot to ask for with the competition the Bucs are facing in the next 2 weeks. That would put them at 42-44 going into the Cubs series with a chance to be a game under .500 at 44-45 if you take 2 of 3 in that Cubs series. Anything less than 11-7 in this stretch even 10-8 I don't think is good enough. If you want to contend and be a player in this race then the Pirates need to show some stones and dig down deep and win a lot of these upcoming games the next few weeks.
Schedule the next few weeks...
0-1 in this 18 game stretch. Better have a good week in both Milwaukee and St Louis. Anything less then 4-3 this week in these 7 games in my opinion is not good enough. The record has to be better then .500 on this trip worst case scenario. You're going to have Cole pitching 2 games on this trip and Nova and Taillon pitching one game each. You better win at least 4 games when you have those 3 pitching in 4 of the 7 games on this trip to Milwaukee and St Louis.