P2Daily: Who is Getting the Innings Now?

I’ve been following how the Pittsburgh Pirates have been using their pitchers this year, mostly focusing on their usage of long-relievers and openers.

Part of that approach was due to the shortened Spring Training, and the need to stretch out starters during the season. The bullpen was needed for more innings early, in a temporary situation.

Not all of the early usage was temporary. The Pirates now have their starters stretched out, but are still using openers and long-relievers. While looking at the numbers yesterday, I noticed a key split in how the Pirates had used their pitchers the first three weeks of the season, compared to the last three,

Below is a breakdown of that split, and the…