PITTSBURGH — The Pirates have made their goal for 2026 clear. They want to make the postseason for the first time since 2015.
The offense has the look of a playoff team. The starting rotation, for the most part, does too. But the bullpen has kept the Pirates from being anything more than a .500 team so far this year, and it’s unlikely that will change.
Pittsburgh blew its 17 save of the season on Saturday against the Reds at PNC Park. The Pirates had a one-run lead entering the bottom of the ninth, but Gregory Soto surrendered a two-out three-run home run to give the Reds a 9-7 win.
“I battled through the whole inning,” Soto said through coach/interpreter Stephen Morales. “I could not execute my pitch there and I paid for it.”
The inning began with with an Edwin Arroyo single to right field. Reds leadoff hitter Elly De La Cruz was up next, and Soto’s full count offering was initially ruled strike three by home plate umpire Dan Iassogna. But De La Cruz used a successful ABS challenge to change the call to ball four, giving the Reds runners on first and second with one out.
After Sal Stewart followed by bouncing into a double play, it looked like the Pirates would be able to squeak out a win. But Soto issued a walk to the left-handing hitting JJ Bleday, bringing cleanup hitter Eugenio Suárez to the plate.
One pitch away from evening the series, Suárez belted a three-run home run to right field to lift the Reds to a win.
“Some really close pitches. The one Elly challenged was a tenth of an inch down. Overturned that,” manager Don Kelly said of the fateful inning. “Made a really good pitch on Stewart. That’s a tough matchup. Stewart hits lefties really well. Got the double play. The walk to Bleday was not ideal. Suarez got a 2-2 [sinker], put the barrel on it, snuck it out.”
Soto, who has been the Pirates’ top reliever for most of the season, has ran into some trouble in June. After entering the month with a 1.95 ERA, the veteran left-hander has a 12.15 ERA in eight appearances since the turn of the calendar.
Soto’s struggles over the last few weeks add even more concern to a group that has now blown 50% of their save opportunities through the first 83 games of the year.
“It’s frustrating,” said Soto. “That’s part of my job. We have to continue to go out there and do our job. It’s going to happen sometimes. You just try to minimize it.”
The problem is the Pirates haven’t minimized it. Pittsburgh’s 4.41 bullpen ERA ranks 19th in MLB and 11th out of 15 teams in the National League.
Time and time again, winnable games have slipped away, and the Pirates fell back below .500 with their latest implosion.
It was obvious to just about everyone entering the season that the bullpen was a major question mark. Regression from last year’s closer Dennis Santana, and a dreadful showing from Justin Lawrence that led to him getting designated for assignment, are among the reasons the biggest reasons for the season-long struggles.
Kelly often gets criticized for his bullpen moves, and there have been occasions where he’s made head-scratching decisions. But realistically, how many guys can he fully trust?
A few weeks ago, I would’ve said Soto was the only one. But given his recent performance, that answer is currently zero.
It speaks to larger issues about roster construction, starting with a regrettable trade of David Bednar at last year’s deadline. Bednar has a 3.27 ERA and 16 saves for the Yankees this season.
The signing of Soto this offseason still largely looks like a good one. But general manager Ben Cherington’s decision to not make any further additions was surprising at the time, and looks even worse now.
No general manager wants to go into trade negotiations with little leverage, but Cherington should desperately be trying to upgrade the bullpen before the season slips too far away.
The Pirates want to contend. They’re two-thirds of the way there. But it’s hard to envision they ever get over the hump with this bullpen.
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