June was the best month of the season for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Across the month, they went 15-14 with a +21 run differential. It marked the only month of the season with a record over .500, and the only month with a positive run differential.
A big part of the team’s success was due to the pitching. The lineup caught fire at the end of the month, but the pitching, particularly the bullpen, was lights out.
The bullpen’s June ERA was 2.48, the second-best in baseball behind only the Chicago Cubs for the month. According to Pirates broadcaster Joe Block, that’s the lowest Pittsburgh bullpen ERA for a month since July 2017.
Almost everyone the Pirates trotted out in relief was successful. Among qualified pitchers, the only reliever with an ERA over three was Carmen Mlodzinski, who came in at 3.08. David Bednar didn’t allow a run in 10 innings. Dennis Santana and Isaac Mattson each allowed two over 11 2/3 apiece.
Is it sustainable, though? While they may not be as dominant as June, the numbers suggest the success wasn’t a complete fluke. The team’s FIP was the fifth-best in baseball in June. Their ground ball rate was in the top 10 as well. While some batted ball luck may have contributed to the performance, they should continue to be a solid group going forward.
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