PITTSBURGH — Through 11 games of the 2018 Pirates season, the one part of the team that almost no one is talking about is the bench.
The starting lineup has exceeded almost all expectations and has turned out to be one of the best run-producing threats in the majors. The starting rotation has dealt with the loss of Joe Musgrove pretty well thanks to solid, if short, starts from most of the rest of its members the first two times through the order. The bullpen has been rough, with the middle and front of the bullpen completely unreliable and the overall numbers at the back of the league.