With the Pirates' win over the Astros and the Reds' loss to the Dodgers on Wednesday, the Bucs moved a full game up on the competition in the NL Central.
Aaron Harang pitched seven strong innings for Los Angeles to beat his old team, who have now lost two in a row.
Here are the full standings for the NL Central.
Pirates 45-26
Reds 44-37, 1 GB
Cardinals 43-39, 2.5 GB
Brewers 38-43, 7 GB
Astros 32-50, 13.5 GB
Cubs 31-50, 14 GB
Coolstandings gives the Pirates a 67% chance of making the playoffs at this point, although Baseball Prospectus, which adjusts for runs scored and allowed as well as the components thereof (the number of total bases accumulated and allowed, for example), isn't nearly so excited about the Bucs' chances. Nonetheless, the Pirates' schedule throughout the rest of July gives them a good chance of staying in the race for a while, with lots of games coming up against the Rockies, Astros and Cubs.
For the full MLB standings, click here.
For more on the Pirates, check out Bucs Dugout. For more on the Reds, there's Red Reporter.