Game 149: D'backs at Pirates

Barry Enright, Ace McDonald, and meaningful baseball at seven.

Game 148: D'backs at Pirates

The lowly small-market Diamondbacks roll into town to get clinched.

Kennedy and Burres at seven.

Game 147: Pirates at Mets

Charlie Morton will match his 11-1, 0.95 ERA stuff against Mike Pelfrey and the Mets at seven.

Pirates are going to clinch something soon. It has to be that way.

Game 146: Pirates at Mets

A little more than two weeks to go, and the Pirates are competing graciously with the small-market Mets, who appear to be doing nothing more than playing out the string.

Maholm and Mejia at seven.

Game 145: Pirates at Mets

Duke and Dickey at seven.

Game 144: Pirates at Mets

Ace McDonald, Dillon Gee, and the magical season continues at seven.

Game 143: Pirates at Reds

The Pirates go for the four-game sweep in another game with major playoff implications. Burris and Cueto will start.

NFL week 1: Atlanta at Pittsburgh

With playoff fever sweeping western Pennsylvania, it is not that surprising that hardly anyone remembers or cares there is a football game this afternoon.

Remember football? I didn't think so. Meaningful baseball is tough to eclipse. It just sucks up your whole mind and makes everything else kind of blurry.

Maybe this explains how the black and gold are the underdogs, in a home opener, against an out-of-conference dome-based club, that has never done anything to deserve this kind of respect. The Falcons are not the Saints.

My prediction: Steeler D scores a bunch of points and the Steelers roll, 24-10.

Pick 'em Pool

All are invited to join our pick 'em pool at Pigskin.com.

To get in the pool, poolname: "Honest Wagner Pick 'em Pool" and password: "51yardparker".

It will be hard to think about football with the Bucs in the playoffs, but the Bucs' winning streak can't possibly continue into November.