The Pirates moved into a tie for first place with St. Louis, Friday night, thanks to another masterful performance by Francisco Liriano, who pitched eight shut-out innings in a 5-0 victory the Cardinals at PNC Park.
Liriano improved to 15-6--including 4-0 against the Cardinals--and continues to make a strong case for himself as a National League Cy Young candidate.
Pirates first baseman Garrett Jones was the offensive star, going three for four--including a home run and a double--and drove in four runs. Jones came into the game batting just .119 in August, and if he can get hot down the stretch, it could bode well for Pittsburgh's chances in the tight National League Central race.
The Pirates are now just four wins shy of clinching their first winning season since 1992. Also, with just 28 games remaining in the regular and an 8.5 game lead for the NL's second wild card spot, they're also closing in hard on their first playoff berth since that same season.
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