Pirates bullpen – Pittsburgh’s bullpen collapsed again in an 11-9 Friday night loss to the Phillies, undoing leads of 6-0, 8-3, and 8-5 late. With blown saves piling up and recent bullpen performance sliding over weeks, the pressure is now on Ben Cherington to make changes.
By the time the ninth inning arrived, the Pirates had seen enough to believe the game was theirs. They led 6-0, then 8-3, and still carried an 8-5 edge going into the final frame — until Philadelphia’s late push turned the evening into a towering inferno, ending in an 11-9 loss on Friday night.
The immediate spark for the collapse traced back to a Konnor Griffin error that opened the door for the Phillies’ powerful lineup in the ninth.. But the problem isn’t limited to one blown moment.. The bullpen has declined badly over the past three weeks after what had been a solid start. and it threatens to unravel the work Cherington has already built this season.
The Pirates stayed at 24-21 going into Saturday’s game, operating on pace for 86 wins. Still, the loss has the feel of a year where 90 wins might be required for the playoffs, and the message is blunt: “You can’t be losing 8-3 leads.”
Bullpen failures are unavoidable across 162 games, but the frequency and timing are what’s changed.. Pittsburgh’s bullpen ranks 10th in the NL and 19th in the majors in ERA. and it has already blown 11 saves.. In the past week alone. it backslid five spots in ERA. and over the past three weeks it has hovered between six and seven.. In its past seven outings, it has given up 17 runs in 26 innings.
Veteran closer Dennis Santana is among the most troubling signals.. He was expected to close bunches of games this season, yet he has zero strikeouts in his past seven outings.. That doesn’t work on its own, and it gets worse when paired with the baserunners he allows.. In 18 innings, Santana has given up 18 hits and nine walks while producing just 10 strikeouts.. He is sporting a 4.42 ERA. and the criticism from what hitters are doing is straightforward: “Hitters just look too comfortable against him.”
Other names in the bullpen mix have also slipped after strong stretches.. Isaac Mattson has gone south after a good start.. Yohan Ramirez implodes too much.. The same is said for Justin Lawrence.. Cherington has already made some changes, but the argument running through Friday’s collapse is that more are needed.
Not everything is broken.. A major bright spot lately has been lefty Evan Sisk. who has 21 strikeouts against four walks and has not allowed a run in six May appearances.. Even so, the team’s hope for a turnaround includes possible reinforcements.. The return of Jared Jones might help.. If Jones enters the rotation, Carmen Mlodzinski could add some juice to the bullpen.. If Jones starts in the pen — something described as doubtful — he could add electricity to a group that needs a jolt.
The tension is sharpened by how often missed chances have shown up already this season.. On April 12. Pittsburgh blew a 5-0 lead in Chicago — and a chance to sweep the Cubs — when Hunter Barco. Lawrence and Jose Urquidy crumbled.. On April 18. it squandered a 4-0 lead against Tampa. then gave up two runs in the 11th in an 8-7 loss. with Cam Sanders and Ramirez cited as the culprits.. Mattson. Ramirez and Lawrence struggled in a 7-6 loss at San Francisco where the Pirates blew several leads. including a two-run lead in the 10th.
There’s a clear pattern in what’s been happening since the early season: leads of 5-0. 4-0. 6-0. and 8-3 have been erased in multiple games. and the same bullpen unit that ranks 10th in the NL but 19th in the majors in ERA has already blown 11 saves while trending into six-to-seven territory over the past three weeks.
For now, the Pirates remain in the thick of the season at 24-21, but the Friday night loss makes one thing harder to ignore. Bullpen “conflagrations” will come across 162 games — the key concern is that this is happening too often, too early. Cherington must act.
Pittsburgh Pirates bullpen Ben Cherington Dennis Santana Evan Sisk Jared Jones Konnor Griffin Phillies blown saves ERA