Paul Skenes stood at his locker in a near-silent Pittsburgh clubhouse on Thursday, the weight of a four-game home sweep at the hands of St. Louis still hanging in the air. When asked if he was confident things wouldn't snowball on a Pirates team still finding its way, the reigning NL Cy Young winner offered a quiet prediction: "I think we'll be alright."

Less than 72 hours later, those words proved prophetic. The vibes had shifted dramatically after three very different kinds of wins over three days against a division rival trying to have a breakout season of its own. As Big Sean blared from the speakers following a taut 1-0 win over Cincinnati on Sunday that completed a weekend sweep of the Reds, the mood was considerably lighter. The Pirates were safely back over .500, heading into a six-game road swing through Arizona and San Francisco with momentum on their side.

Resiliency hasn't exactly been a calling card for a franchise that hasn't reached the playoffs in over a decade. And while five long months remain, the Pirates believe they are better equipped to navigate the ups and downs than they've been in a long while. Mitch Keller, the longest-tenured player on the team and a mainstay during a methodical organizational overhaul, could sense that confidence when he showed up for work on Friday. "We were just kind of 'screw it, we lost five in a row, whatever, we'll get them again tomorrow,'" Keller said.

And they did. Keller scattered three hits over seven innings, and catcher Henry Davis homered twice in a 9-1 victory. On Saturday, Pittsburgh's offense worked 11 walks and poured in a season-high 17 runs in another blowout. Things were considerably tenser on Sunday as Braxton Ashcraft and Reds rookie right-hander Chase Burns matched each other over seven innings. The difference was in the details. Pittsburgh's defense made the plays that mattered. Second baseman Brandon Lowe stretched every inch of his 5-foot-9 frame to rob JJ Bleday in the sixth, snagging a line drive that could have scored a run. It was the kind of play that doesn't show up in the box score but speaks volumes about a team's readiness to compete.

This Pirates team is built differently, and the sweep of Cincinnati offered proof that the pieces are coming together. Whether they can sustain this momentum remains to be seen, but for now, the clubhouse is buzzing with a belief that has been missing for far too long.