Pirates' Reach Felt in the National League East

Despite their lackluster record, the Pittsburgh Pirates are making their weight felt in the National League East. If the New York Mets had hung on for say a 5-3 win last night, they would be only half a game behind the Philadelphia Phillies in their division.

As it were, they're one and-a-half games behind because they lost 8-5 in a late-inning upset. And the remaining three games in the series could do more to determine where the Mets stand in their division.

The Pirates' Ian Snell got off to a slow start, giving up five runs in the second and third innings, before hanging in for six and saving the bullpen. That's not too bad a performance for someone who is now the Pirates' de facto fifth starter.

And the Pirates were facing the Mets back-ender, Livan Hernandez, who gave back three runs in the fourth, when Andy LaRoche tripled with two men on, then scored on a sacrifice fly.

But the coup de grace came later, in the eighth inning, when the Pirates scored heavily against noted "set-up" man, JJ Putz. After Adam LaRoche led off with a double, successive singles by Andy LaRoche, Jason Jaramillo, and Jack Wilson scored two runs to tie the game.  

Pinch hitter Delwyn Young singled in the go-ahead run, and Nyjer Morgan was intentionally walked to load the bases. An error and a sacrifice fly scored two more Pirate runs.

The Pirates have actually done relatively well against certain teams at the top. For instance, they are a respectable 4-5 against the St. Louis Cardinals and they typically give the Mets plenty of trouble when at home.  (The three earlier losses were on the road.) 

They also have winning records against assorted teams, including the Colorado Rockies and the San Diego Padres, as well as the Washington Nationals, Florida Marlins, and Atlanta Braves in the National League East.

The Pirates won't soon be contenders in the National League Central because they don't do well against other members of their division besides the Cardinals. But they are certainly a force to be reckoned with outside it, having gone 9-5 so far against teams in the National League East.