There are a couple of different ways the Pirates could address their middle-inning relief issues of the first week of the season. But the easiest would just be for their starters to go deeper into games, after a first week in which none of the starters pitched more than six innings.
Enter Jameson Taillon. In the home opener Monday at PNC Park, Taillon had a strong outing, allowing two runs over 5 1/3 innings. On Sunday afternoon in 35-degree weather, Taillon threw an even more impressive gem, tossing a complete game shutout and allowing just one hit in the Pirates’ 5-0 victory over the Reds.