Can Pirates Steal the NL Central?

The 2011 MLB season has many plot lines to follow and many teams to follow to see if they can make a playoff run. Perhaps the most intriguing regular season team to watch is the Pittsburgh Pirates. After being a losing team for as long as I can remember, the Pirates are finally contending... at least for now. They just won their third straight game by beating the Reds, 1-0, and have a .5 game lead over the Brewers in the NL Central and a 1.5 game lead over the Cardinals. The team is currently 51-44 with a couple more months to go in the season.

Now the big question surrounding the Buccos is whether or not they have the staying power to claim the Central all together. Their pitching seems to be their strong suit with a team ERA of 3.36, which is the lowest in the NL Central, while their hitting could use some improvement. While they do have a shot for that division, I wouldn't go all in on the black and yellow just yet. I can see them finishing over .500 but likely behind one of the other teams in the Central.

P.S. I'll change my mind about the Pirates provided they can win at least half of their next 10 games after this series with the Reds. They play 3 against the Cardinals, 4 against the Braves, and then 3 against the Phillies who currently have the best record in baseball at 60-36.