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Pirates considering ways to bolster bullpen
- Updated: May 22, 2016
PITTSBURGH — The Pirates’ bullpen has been a strength each of the last three seasons, locking down leads and helping the Bucs reach the postseason three years in a row.
The two most consistent performers, closer Mark Melancon and setup man Tony Watson, are still getting it done for the Pirates. But a quarter of the way into this season, the Pirates are still searching for answers at the front end of their bullpen.
Pittsburgh’s relievers entered Sunday with a 4.33 ERA and 1.47 WHIP, the fifth-highest marks in the Majors. Their bullpen has issued 67 walks, fifth-most in baseball, and served up 18 home runs in 139 1/3 innings.
Last year, the Pirates led the Majors with a 2.67 bullpen ERA. They ranked ninth in 2014, and third in ’13. Much of last year’s bullpen returned this season. What’s gone wrong?
“We’ve got some guys here that we believe we can get on the right track. We’ve got some guys at Triple-A that we believe we can get them on the right track and they can help us,” general manager Neal Huntington said. …
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