Pittsburgh Pirates Homestand Report Card 7/6 – 7/15

Bullpen – the good

Felipe Vasquez continues to dominate. After a rough patch in May, the Pirates closer hasn’t allowed a run in over a month and has reestablished himself as the anchor of the ‘pen.

Aside from Vasquez, Kyle Crick and Edgar Santana remain solid, as they’ve been all season. Like the starting rotation, the Pirates relief pitching has its question marks. But right now, the relievers are picking up right where the starters are leaving off, and for once, that’s a good thing.

Bullpen – the bad

Michael Feliz still hasn’t figured it out. He’s allowed runs in two of his three appearances since being activated off the DL, and his 1.57 WHIP for the season speaks for itself. More so than other positions, relief pitchers are capable of getting hot at any moment, however, and a stretch of dominance by Feliz would be huge to this young and inconsistent group.

The ‘pen allowed 12 of the 17 runs in that woeful loss to the Phillies, and it would be unfair to single out one person for that train wreck. The next days 3-2 loss was also disappointing, as Santana couldn’t come through after Taillon’s curious removal with a 2-0 lead in the seventh inning.

Aside from the Philly series, however, much like the rest of the team, the bullpen was good and deserves a pat on the back for the time being.

B-