Give the Pittsburgh Pirates credit for drive and a sense of timing.

The Pirates beat the skidding Atlanta Braves 3-2 on Tuesday night and secured for themselves a spot in the National League playoffs. They will at least be a wild card and are still in pursuit of the St. Louis Cardinals in the NL Central. They’re peaking at the right time, winning 11 of their last 13 games.

Starling Marte doubled home Andrew McCutchen in the sixth inning to put the Pirates ahead of the offensively-challenged Braves, and here’s where it gets just a little weird. Exactly a year ago, the Pirates clinched their first postseason berth in 21 seasons when Marte homered to beat the Chicago Cubs. We approve of the dramatics. Marte, my man!

The Braves, who fired general manager Frank Wren on Monday, are 4-16 in September. Atlanta has dropped its last five games to slip under under .500 for the first time since May 9, 2010. The Braves won the NL East last year. The Milwaukee Brewers, who led the NL Central division much of the season, have also fallen apart since the All-Star break.

The Pirates trail the Cardinals by 1 ½ games. The regular season concludes on Sunday.

Today’s question

Can the Pirates go deep in the playoffs this year?

Answers in the comment box, please.
 
 
Post By: Larry Weisman, a longtime sportswriter for USA TODAY, blogs for Twistity.com. Follow him on Twitter @MrLarryWeisman .