The Pirates went 3 and 1 this week, dropping the opener to the Atlanta Braves 5-10 on Thursday, July 9, then ripping off three straight wins over the Milwaukee Brewers to take that series. They won 7-6, then 3-2, both on Saturday, July 11, then closed it out 14-5 on Sunday. That sweep of the Brewers matters beyond just the results, since Milwaukee sits atop the National League Central and went 1 and 3 themselves this week. The Pirates are now three games into a winning streak and have gone 7 and 3 over their last ten.
The standings moved a bit in Pittsburgh's favor. The Pirates trimmed their division deficit from 11.5 games back to 9.5, though they're still fourth in the National League Central. The bigger story is the wild card race, where they cut the gap from 4 games back to just 2, climbing from sixth to fifth. Their record now sits at 50 and 47.
Esmerlyn Valdez (RF) was the story of the week at the plate, going 3 for 4 with two home runs and 6 RBI on July 11, and hitting .375 over the four games with 4 home runs and 10 RBI total. Jake Mangum (CF) had a strong night too, going 4 for 5 with a home run, 3 RBI, and a stolen base on July 9. Henry Davis (C) added a 2 for 4 day with a homer and 3 RBI on July 12.
Baseball paused after Sunday's game for the All-Star break, with the All-Star Game itself on Tuesday, July 14. The Pirates haven't played since July 12 and won't again until they head to Cleveland to face the Guardians on Friday, July 17 at 4:10 PM PDT for a three-game series.