Through Friday, the Pirates were two games over .500 since the All-Star break and a big reason has been their pitching. The best earned run averages in the majors since the break:
| Team | W-L | ERA |
| 1. Astros | 15-18 | 3.66 |
| 2. Rockies | 15-20 | 3.71 |
| 3. Twins | 24-11 | 3.79 |
| 4. Pirates | 17-15 | 3.87 |
| 5. Athletics | 23-11 | 3.95 |
| 6. Dodgers | 18-16 | 4.06 |