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Pirates not that far off in tight NL Central
by Rob Biertempfel , Pittsburgh Tribune Review
"Whether people realize it or not, we're right there," manager John Russell said. "We're not that far back. If we can start sneaking a few games here and there and continue to play well, we really feel we're right there where we need to be."
The flip side is, they still were in last place in the division and five games under .500. The
"Nobody's really taken it and run with it," Russell said. "I think this month, going into July, there should be some separation as we start playing (teams in) our division. This could be a big month for all the teams in the division. We need to make a push. "
The Pirates will play seven games against division foes in July, 16 in August and 20 in September. On the 10-day road trip leading up to the All-Star break, the Pirates will face Florida (fourth, NL East), Houston (fourth,
"The guys feel very confident we can win at home," Russell said. "The next piece is to take that on the road."
One thing the Pirates have shown throughout the season is resiliency. They've hung tough despite losing catcher Ryan Doumit (wrist injury), center fielder Nate McLouth (trade), right-hander Ian Snell (demotion to minors) and righty setup reliever Tyler Yates (elbow injury).
"The feeling in the dugout, no matter what, is, 'We're going to win this game tonight,' " catcher Jason Jaramillo said. "It's like that every game."
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