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An embarrassing sweep at the hands of the cellar-dwelling Cubs only dropped the Pittsburgh Pirates one game in the Wild Card standings, but things definitely won't get easier for the Bucs as they head to Cincinnati for a three-game set against the division-leading Reds.
Pittsburgh had suffered a sweep to start off August, losing three to the Milwaukee Brewers. The last-place Astros allowed the Pirates to win two of three, but the team resumed their losing ways with three straight losses to Chicago, the team with the second-worst record in baseball. They still remain very much alive in the hunt for a postseason berth, but they have to turn their play around quickly.
The Pirates have one of the guys they want on the mound as they try to get back on track: Wandy Rodriguez has a 3.50 ERA since coming to Pittsburgh and is coming off two consecutive shutout performances spanning 13 innings. His opponent, however, has had the Pirates' number this season, pitching 13.1 scoreless innings in two outings against Pittsburgh on the year. Latos has earned wins in five of his last six decisions and only allowed combined three runs in his last two starts - not exactly who Pirates hitters want to see coming off a series where they only mustered seven combined runs in three games.
For more on the Pirates, head over to Bucs Dugout, and continue to check out SB Nation Pittsburgh for the latest on the team's hunt for the postseason.