One step forward, one step backward

Win one. Lose one. Win one. Lose one. The Wild Things are 5-5 in their last 10 games. They haven't won more than 2 in a row in that span, but they haven't lost two in a row, either.

If they were a second- or third-place team, that wouldn't be good enough to make the playoffs. But the Wild Things are 6 1/2 games ahead of second-place Chillicothe in the East Division. And playing .500 ball down the stretch will likely be enough to secure a playoff berth and division title.

If the Wild Things play .500 ball for the remainder of the regular season, that will end with 54 wins. That will require Chillicothe to go 18-4 the rest of the way to at least tie for the division title.

Sometimes, by taking one step forward and then one step backward, you can make progress.

Still, it seems that each time the Wild Things have an opportunity to bury a team in the standings they are unable to do so. Remember when Florence rolled into Washington on July 21-22 trailing the Wild Things by 8 1/2 games? Washington had a chance to, for all intents and purposes, wrap up the division title in that two-game series. Florence, however, swept the series and left trailing by 6 1/2 instead of 10 1/2 games.


Washington had a chance Friday night to sweep a two-game series at Chillicothe and push the Paints to 8 1/2 games out of first place. Chillicothe had to use a spot starter, Justin Drabek - the son of former Pirates pitcher Doug Drabek - and won 6-5 to pull back to within 6 1/2 games. That, however, probably says more about the Paints than the Wild Things.

While simply playing .500 ball, especially against Florence and Chillicothe, means the Wild Things can't lose any games off their lead, you'd still like to see them go on a winning streak to secure a playoff berth, rather than playing .500 ball or relying on the Paints or Freedom to have a losing streak.

Then again, win one, lose one, is pretty effective when you have a 6 1/2-game lead.