"We get to go home and play the team we're hunting"

CHICAGO -- “We get to go home and play the team we're hunting.”

Those were the words of Clint Hurdle after the Pirates concluded their 10-game road trip with an 8-2 record, sandwiching an eight-game winning streak between losses to Zack Greinke and Jake Arrieta. They are 41/2 games ahead of the Cubs with six to play (the Cubs have seven remaining because of a makeup game against the Royals today) and are three games behind the first-place Cardinals, who come to PNC Park today with a magic number of four.

“We’re not satisfied with a wild card,” A.J. Burnett said. “We want to see what we can do, we want to go for the division. It’s not over yet.”

Any combination of Cardinals victories and Pirates losses totaling four relegates the Pirates to the wild-card game, and the Cardinals finish against the 62-94 Braves. If they play that wild-card game, they’ll face Arrieta, who was almost untouchable Sunday night.

“He’s been able to do something special here,” Aramis Ramirez said after Arrieta pitched seven scoreless innings, walked no one, hit a batter, allowed one hit and struck out nine. “He’s one of the main reason they are what they are as a team.”

Arrieta has pitched 19 consecutive quality starts; he is 15-1 with an 0.89 ERA in those starts; his 0.80 ERA since the All-Star break will set a major league record if it holds; he is 3-1 with a 0.75 ERA in five starts against the Pirates this season.

Burnett and Arrieta opposed each other for the fourth time. In the first three, Burnett was 1-0 with a 1.47 ERA.

“I enjoy it,” Burnett said. “You want to go against the best. He’s having a great year and he’s got great stuff. It puts you on your game too.”

Arrieta is squarely in the Cy Young race with Greinke and Clayton Kershaw. 

Probables

Monday: LHP J.A. Happ (6-2, 2.28) for the Pirates; RHP Lance Lynn (12-10, 3.16) for the Cardinals.

Tuesday: RHP Charlie Morton (9-8, 4.54) for the Pirates; RHP Michael Wacha (17-6, 3.15) for the Cardinals.

Wednesday: RHP Gerrit Cole (18-8, 2.60) for the Pirates; LHP Tyler Lyons (2-1, 3.96) for the Cardinals.

Game story: Arrieta dominant as Cubs avoid sweep, end Pirates’ winning streak.

Notebook: Cards series looms, Pirates have begun search for DelPiano’s replacement.