Real or not? Are the Pirates actually a real playoff contender

The Pittsburgh Pirates have suddenly won nine games in a row, turning what appeared to be a tedious season of subpar mediocrity into something interesting. They hit four home runs in a 9-2 win over the Reds -- Corey Dickerson hit his fifth in four games as he went 4-for-5 -- to improve to 51-49. They're now just four games out of the second wild card, part of a crowded race that has eight teams within five games of each other for the two wild-card spots.

In other words, the Pirates are right there, as much a part of the playoff picture as the Cardinals, Giants or Nationals. It probably means the Pirates aren't going to trade Dickerson or Josh Harrison, and they might have even make a minor…