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N.L. Wild Card Standings: Pirates 3 Games Back Despite Losing Streak

The Pittsburgh Pirates' recent six-game skid has been far from optimal, but they still find themselves in contention for an NL Wild Card spot as they head to Wrigley Field for four games.

It's a similar scenario to the one the Pirates found themselves in last weekend: heading into a matchup with a fifth-place Cubs team, hoping a weak opponent will allow them to creep closer to a playoff spot. That wasn't the case as the Cubs got a three-game sweep, and Pittsburgh did themselves no favors by being swept again by the Cincinnati Reds. But a look at the standings shows them just three games behind the St. Louis Cardinals, who sit in the second and final Wild Card berth.

The good news for the Pirates is that every game they win will have an immediate positive impact in the race: either they'll gain a game on the Cardinals or the Los Angeles Dodgers, who are two games back, as the two are playing each other. Pittsburgh's cross-state rivals, the Philadelphia Phillies, had played their way back into contention with a seven-game win streak, but a loss last night to the last-place Houston Astros dropped them to four games back.

Here's a full look at the standings:


National League Wild Card Standings

W L PCT GB STRK
Atlanta 81 63 .562 0 Lost 3
St. Louis 76 68 .527 5 Won 1
Los Angeles 74 70 .513 7 Lost 4
Pittsburgh 72 70 .507 8 Lost 6
Milwaukee 72 71 .503 8.5 Won 3
Philadelphia 72 72 .500 9 Lost 1
Arizona 71 72 .496 9.5 Won 2
San Diego 69 75 .479 12 Won 4
New York 65 78 .454 15.5 Lost 6
Miami 63 81 .437 18 Lost 3
Colorado 57 85 .401 23 Lost 2
Chicago 56 87 .391 24.5 Won 1
Houston 46 98 .319 35 Won 1

(updated 9.14.2012 at 9:30 AM CDT)



Photographs by dizfunk used in background montage under Creative Commons. Thank you.