"I think it's another mile marker on the way. You've got to play better than .500. Nobody's won a division playing under .500," said Pirates manager Clint Hurdle, whose team is now an NL Central-best 34-26 since May 13. "There will be no catching our breath or, 'Ah, we've made it.' We haven't made it. We're heading in the right direction. We're hunting the good stuff. We're playing better baseball."
As has been the case all season, Thursday's win was a team effort for the Pirates.