The Pittsburgh Pirates are playing at a high level heading into a key NL Central series at St. Louis this weekend.
The Bucs beat Philadelphia 5-4 to earn a second straight win against the Phillies Thursday. The Pirates improved to 40-35, a game-and-a-half behind the division-leading Cincinnati Reds and 1/2 a game in front of the Cardinals.
A.J. Burnett has been a big reason for Pittsburgh’s strong play as the midway point of the season approaches. The right-handed starter improved to 9-2 Thursday and won his eighth consecutive start, tying Dock Ellis’ streak for the Pirates in 1974.
Burnett’s ERA is 3.24 after he allowed three runs on six hits in 6 2/3 innings Thursday. The key to his success has been getting batters to hit the ball on the ground. He forced the Phillies into 11 groundouts Thursday, compared to one flyout.
–Here’s an interesting fact: The Pirates now have back-to-back months with at least 15 wins — a feat they had not accomplished since 1997.
The exhibit is called: The Story of Negro League Baseball: We Are The Ship. Visit the History Center website here to read more on the exhibit.
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