In our daily Wake-Up Call, we get you ready for the day with a complete look at all things Pittsburgh Pirates.
161-1
Last night the Pittsburgh Pirates lost 7-3 to the Minnesota Twins. The dream of a 162-0 season is officially dead. I’ll bet that right now, the 1972 Miami Dolphins are popping some champagne. Last night’s game was the first really frustrating loss of the season as the Pirates jumped to an early lead before imploding.
Ivan Nova looked good early but then fell apart. He went 5.1 innings, allowed five runs on five hits and struck out three. The bullpen also once again looked like an absolute weak link, which should be a cause for concern. I know we’re only five games into the regular season but outside of the 1-0 victory over the Detroit Tigers, the bullpen has allowed runs in every game.
Prior to the start of the regular season, I thought the bullpen would be a strength of this Pirates team and over the course of a long season, it very well could be. However, so far, the bullpen has been ineffective at best. The beauty of struggling middle relievers is that you can always replace them with Triple-A players. The bullpen struggles aren’t ideal but they are fixable. This team can save their bullpen with a few options and call-ups. Though, I will give the struggling pitchers more than five games before making any decisions.
Tyler Glasnow, ace reliever?
Lost in the Pirates 7-3 loss to the Twins was Tyler Glasnow pitching three quality innings of relief. Everyone was hoping that Glasnow would grow into a dominant starting but that has not been the case yet. However, his first five relief innings of 2018 have been excellent. In those five innings, he’s allowed one earned run and struck out seven. Baseball has become a bullpen game, so having a reliever with the tools of Tyler Glasnow can only be beneficial for the Pirates.
Tyler Glasnow will have some rough patches this year because every pitcher has those. However, the Pirates should be very encouraged with his start to 2018. Tyler Glasnow may never be a top of the rotation starter but if he turns into an elite reliever, that could be just as valuable in today’s game. Starting pitchers don’t go as deep into games as they used to, so having elite arms in the bullpen is key. If the Pirates are able to salvage this current bullpen and Tyler Glasnow continues to grow as a reliever, that will only mean good things for the 2018 club.
Baseball talk on the web
MLB’s Owners Move To Three Meetings Annually; Drop Gathering Quarterly
Montreal MLB Investors, Mayor to Meet Friday
MLB: Charlie Blackmon gets a nine-figure deal
Pirates Guide – the perfect gift for a Pittsburgh Pirates fan
Our 280-page Pittsburgh Pirates 2018 season preview book is now available on Amazon in e-book and paperback formats! CLICK HERE to learn more. Makes a perfect gift for any Pirates fan in your life.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
