Pirates' bullpen concerns look even worse after Brewers' latest World Series masterpiece

The Milwaukee Brewers are two wins away from a World Series championship, and they're providing the Pittsburgh Pirates with yet another uncomfortable reminder of what it actually takes to compete in October.

Milwaukee's bullpen delivered six scoreless innings in Saturday's 5-4 comeback victory over the Tampa Bay Rays in Game 2 of the World Series, allowing the Brewers to erase an early four-run deficit and take a commanding 2-0 series lead.

Even more impressively, Milwaukee's relievers have now earned eight wins this postseason, tying the record set by the 2015 Kansas City Royals. It's a testament to the kind of pitching depth that separates legitimate championship contenders from teams merely hoping to reach the postseason — And for Pirates general manager Ben Cherington, it should serve as a warning.

Pittsburgh spent much of the 2026 season trying to piece together a functional bullpen, eventually making several additions at the trade deadline. Those moves helped stabilize the pitching staff, but they also exposed a problem that remains unresolved heading into 2027: The Pirates have assembled some promising late-inning weapons, but they haven't demonstrated that they can build a bullpen capable of surviving an extended postseason run.

Brewers' World Series dominance exposes Pirates' unfinished bullpen business

To Pittsburgh's credit, its bullpen made significant progress during the second half of 2026. Mason Montgomery emerged as a legitimate closer, putting together a remarkable stretch of 25 consecutive scoreless appearances before finally surrendering a run in late September. Luke Weaver also proved to be a valuable acquisition, giving Pittsburgh a dependable right-handed setup option.

According to MLB.com, the Pirates' bullpen posted a 3.49 ERA after the trade deadline, compared to a 4.34 ERA beforehand. But that progress came with a catch.

Gregory Soto is headed toward free agency after an inconsistent season. Veteran Kirby Yates has retired. Camilo Doval, another deadline acquisition, was designated for assignment in September after struggling to establish himself in Pittsburgh.

Weaver remains under contract, and the Pirates have additional options in Yohan Ramírez, Lake Bachar and Carmen Mlodzinski. But having enough relievers to fill out a bullpen isn't the same as having enough trustworthy relievers to navigate October.

Which brings us back to the Brewers. When starter Logan Henderson surrendered four runs in the first inning Saturday, Milwaukee didn't need its offense to immediately rescue him. JoJo Romero, Dustin May, DL Hall, Abner Uribe and Aaron Ashby combined to shut down Tampa Bay for the final six innings.

The Brewers' lineup eventually completed the comeback, but their relievers made it possible. And that's the difference between having one dominant closer and having an entire bullpen capable of winning postseason games.

Pittsburgh has every reason to feel optimistic about Montgomery's emergence. But what happens when he isn't available? What happens when a starter exits in the third inning? Who can Don Kelly confidently trust to protect a one-run deficit in the sixth inning of a playoff game? Those are scenarios teams must prepare for long before October arrives.

The Pirates have already spent years assembling an impressive collection of young starting pitchers, led by Paul Skenes, Jared Jones, Bubba Chandler and Braxton Ashcraft. But even an elite rotation can't guarantee seven strong innings every night, particularly against postseason-caliber lineups.

Milwaukee is demonstrating that bullpen depth is something smart organizations deliberately construct. For Pittsburgh, that means reinforcing the group around Montgomery and Weaver rather than assuming another collection of low-cost acquisitions and midseason trades will be sufficient.

The Pirates finished 82-80 in 2026, taking a meaningful step forward without reaching the postseason. If their goal is genuinely to compete for a championship in 2027, Cherington needs to approach bullpen construction with considerably more urgency.

The Pirates shouldn't be building a bullpen that's merely good enough to get them into October. They should be building one that's good enough to keep them there.

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