Pirates return to earth following weekend sweep

Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports Over the first month of the season, the Pittsburgh Pirates played interesting baseball. After starting the season 1-6, the club steadily climbed to a 12-13 record in April, going 11-7 over that time. We all watched with intrigue, but knew in the back of our collective minds that eventually the season would be rerouted to the bottom of the league. Is that where the Pirates are headed now?

Riding a streak of hot bullpen pitching, the Pirates momentarily climbed into a tie for the second Wild Card spot. From my vantage point, this would be a good season to be a competitive team: There’s no clear frontrunner for any of the divisions, and there seems to be a lot…