The Pirate’s bullpen has been the anchor of this pitching staff for the last three years. It should come as no surprise that, as of Wednesday, the Pirates are second in the N.L. in bullpen ERA, behind none other than those pesky St. Louis Cardinals.
Along with this success fans have seen remarkable pitching by players like Rob Scahill, Arquimedes Caminero and Antonio Bastardo. These three players have thrown very well as of late, but remember that the MLB season is a marathon and having success beyond the All-Star break is essential.
Scahill, 28, is having his best season as a pro. As his first season wearing a Buccos uniform Scahill has posted a 1.48 ERA in 24.1 innings and has thrown 22 strikeouts. Keep an eye out for his continued ability to find clean up messes, a very valuable tool for the Pirates.
The former Colorado Rockie has not done so well since debuting in 2012. Struggling with command and only getting a handful of opportunities, Colorado would trade Scahill in 2014 for pitcher Shane Carle.
Caminero, 28, has really fit well in the Pirates bullpen. In just the past seven games, Caminero has an ERA of 1.29 and has seven strikeouts. Some seemed not to be sold on the young reliever when his ERA ballooned to 4.86.
A reliable option out of the bullpen, Caminero has not allowed a run in his last six appearances that dates back to June 7. The Dominican has also been able to lower his batting average against to .173 and his velocity accompanied by precision has made him very hard to hit.
Bastardo, 29, had a very poor start to the season. His ERA swelled to 7.50 after allowing the Cincinnati Reds to score three times in one inning. Since, Bastardo has had some minor hiccups, but is also beginning to find better location.
In his last seven games, the southpaw has accumulated a 1.23 ERA in seven and a third innings and striking out five. His outings do vary, he does not always locate the ball well, but as of late there is no arguing he has improved.
Veterans of the staff like Jared Hughes, Tony Watson and closer Mark Melancon have been vital components to the Pirates pitching staff.
Hughes has had the keen ability to get out of jams when the Bucs really need a lift. Watson, who also had early hiccups, has played like his true form throwing in 35.1 innings with a 1.78 ERA.
Melancon has realty put it together and is standing out one of the best closers in the league. Improving his ERA by 6.66 points, 8.53 down to 1.87, the Pirates’ closer has only given up one run since May 15.
Struggling early on, Melancon seemed to lose some of his velocity. Seemingly adjusted and well disciplined, he has once again put himself among one of the league’s best and most consistent closers.
Thus far the Pirates’ bullpen has anchored the team. Suffering through a tough road series sweep against the Washington Nationals, it is important to remember how the bullpen stepped up and limited runs to a minimum.
