PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates finished their first road trip after the All-Star break and head back home to take on the Chicago Cubs in what could be a pivotal series for the rest of the season.The Pirates and Cubs are both in the midst of the National League Wild Card race, with the Cubs in firm position in the first Wild Card spot, while the Pirates are just one game back from that third spot.Both teams are amongst the best in baseball and each went 3-3 post All-Star break, with the Pirates winning two of three games over the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field and losing two of three game to the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium, while the Cubs won two of three games over the Minnesota Twins and lost two of three games against the Detroit Tigers, both at Wrigley Field.Each team can take a big step towards putting themselves in a better spot for the postseason and also just a week prior to the Aug. 3 trade deadline.NL Wild Card Outlook Before Cubs SeriesTeamRecord (%) Wild Card GA/GBChicago Cubs57-45 (.566)+3.5Philadelphia Phillies56-47 (.556)+2.0Arizona Diamondbacks54-49 (.524)--Pittsburgh Pirates53-50 (.515)1.0St. Louis Cardinals 52-50 (.510)1.5Miami Marlins52-51 (.520)2.0Washington Nationals52-51 (.500)2.0San Diego Padres50-53 (.495)40The Cubs and Philadelphia Phillies still remain in the first two spots in the NL Wild Card, with the Phillies two games ahead as well.The Pirates are just one game back of the Arizona Diamondbacks, who have been the best team in this NL Wild Card race recently, going 8-2 in their past 10 games.May 6, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters ConnectArizona won three of four games against the St. Louis Cardinals and took two of three games against the Athletics post-All-Star break and swept the Los Angeles Dodgers right before that as well.They will also come to Pittsburgh for the next series, July 27-29, so that is another massive opportunity for the Pirates to make some gains in the NL Wild Card race. The Cardinals have fallen back with those three losses to the Diamondbacks and losing two of three games to the Los Angeles Angels as well. One team that has completely dropped off is the Miami Marlins, who have lost nine straight games, getting swept by the Guardians at home before the All-Star break and suffering road sweeps to the Milwaukee Brewers and Houston Astros following that.The Washington Nationals remain in the race, winning two of three games in their two road series against the Athletics and Colorado Rockies, keeping them just two games back.Another team that may fall out of postseason contention entirely is the San Diego Padres, who lost three of four games to the Atlanta Braves and two of three games to the Kansas City Royals, falling three games below .500 and four games back. Make sure to visit Pirates OnSI for the latest news, updates, interviews and insight on the Pittsburgh Pirates!Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow