Pittsburgh Pirates homestand report card for week of 5/3 – 5/8

PITTSBURGH, PA - APRIL 04: Jordan Lyles #31 of the Pittsburgh Pirates delivers a pitch in the first inning during the game against the Cincinnati Reds at PNC Park on April 4, 2019 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images)
PITTSBURGH, PA - APRIL 04: Jordan Lyles #31 of the Pittsburgh Pirates delivers a pitch in the first inning during the game against the Cincinnati Reds at PNC Park on April 4, 2019 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images) /
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PITTSBURGH, PA – AUGUST 21: Pitching coach Ray Searage #54 of the Pittsburgh Pirates talks with pitcher Michael Feliz #45 of the Pittsburgh Pirates in the seventh inning against the Atlanta Braves at PNC Park on August 21, 2018 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)
PITTSBURGH, PA – AUGUST 21: Pitching coach Ray Searage #54 of the Pittsburgh Pirates talks with pitcher Michael Feliz #45 of the Pittsburgh Pirates in the seventh inning against the Atlanta Braves at PNC Park on August 21, 2018 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images) /

The bullpen

In three of the five games on this homestand, the Pirates ‘pen was dealt a crappy hand. Only Tuesday night, however, did the relievers make the situation any better.

Musgrove only went 2.2 innings in his start Friday. After that, four Pirates relievers combined to give up seven runs in a contest that was already out of reach. Brault only went four innings in Tuesday’s series opener against the Rangers. The ‘pen got to work in the fifth with a one-run lead, and despite giving up two runs in the seventh, they didn’t let it slip away, and the Bucs got a feel-good win as a result.

Wednesday’s situation was similar for the ‘pen, as Kingham followed in Brault’s footsteps by only tossing four. The relievers held their own until the eighth when Michael Feliz walked three and gave up a grand slam in his masterful 2/3 of an inning. However, neither Brault nor Kingham could have been expected to give the team much more than they did. In a way, this set the ‘pen up for failure in these two games.

With Keone Kela on the injured list and Nick Burdi out for a while, Pirates relievers not named Vazquez or Crick need to step up. Francisco Liriano has done so, Feliz has shown flashes, and the jury is still out on Richard Rodriguez. If the Pirates have a lead after the seventh inning, they’ll will be in stable condition more often than not. Anything that happens before the seventh, however, is up for grabs. The Bucs lack consistency from most of their relievers, and that’s a problem.

C-. Grade. . .