Let me paint a picture and you decide if it’s mathematically possible.

OK, a major league baseball team plays 35 games to open the year — a little under one-fifth of the season — and just picked up its first three-game winning streak.

On the flip side, this team has suffered a five-game losing streak, is 30th out of 30 teams in runs scored per game (2.8), 28th in batting average (.223), 30th in on-base percentage (.277) and 29th in slugging percentage (.346).

While scoring runs are a problem, the team is 11-1 in games it scores more than two runs.

Considering all you’ve just read, here’s the kicker: This team is just three games out of first place.

Now, I ask you again: Is this possible?

Surprisingly, for the Pittsburgh Pirates, it is.

Granted, the reason this team is still in contention is because of its pitching staff.

After Monday’s 3-2 win at Miami, the Pirates are third in ERA (3.22) and 12th in batting average against (.244) which is why, at 17-18, Pittsburgh is in third place and trail only the second-place Cincinnati Reds (18-16) and the St. Louis Cardinals (20-15).

That said, the Milwaukee Brewers, Houston Astros, Chicago Cubs are all tied for fourth place at 15-20, two games in back of the Bucs and just five games off the pace.

The Pirates can easily contend in the National League Central because there never seems to be a runaway winner in most seasons. And if the Pirates can right the offensive ship, they can make things a little more enjoyable this summer.

The Pirates have won four of their past six games — a modest streak but winning consecutive series is always a plus — to prevent from being the team at the bottom and are a winning streak away from pushing its way back to the top.

Remember, the Pirates’ pitching helped carry the team into first place in mid-July last season before a late-season meltdown. Why? The pitching started to fade and the offense never came around.

This season, the Pirates will find themselves on a similar course unless they can change for the better and if hitters not named Andrew McCutchen can step up and make a contribution.

If not, things could take a turn for the worse.

It could turn into another painful season and another losing season — the 20th consecutive losing one for those still keeping track.

Although not as dire, there was a team that once scored 3.9 runs per game — more than one run per game than this year’s Pirates and batted .240 — and still finished 60.5 games out of first place and 80 games below .500 (40-120).

The pitching staff faltered as well, allowing 5.09 runs per game. That team went down in history as one of the most inept squads in professional baseball history.

That team?

The 1962 New York Mets.

Sam Tallarico is a staff writer for the Butler Eagle.