Looking ahead: Champions come to town

The Pirates play the struggling defending World Series champion Boston Red Sox this week before meeting the two teams immediately behind them in the wild-card race: Milwaukee followed by Atlanta. It’s a stretch that could make or break that quest to return to the postseason for the Pirates. “They’re all crucial. You don’t get to this point without playing those kind of games to put yourself in the position to be in the hunt,” Hurdle said. “We have an opportunity just to continue to play meaningful games. We’re aware of where we are. You’ve got to go perform.”