Starkey & Mueller

Another blown game for the Buccos last night and this one could take the cake for the 2026 season. The Pirates led 8-3 in the 7th inning in Houston, and wound up losing 11-9. Paul Skenes couldn’t get out of the 5th inning then multiple bullpen arms got rocked, including ones that were previously pretty reliable. Are the lights too bright for Don Kelly? How much is on Ben Cherington? How does the blame get divvied up with the Pirates bullpen blunders? Pirates insider Jason Mackey joined the show. Jason told us Carmen Mlodzinski will pitch tonight and will ‘piggy-back’ off Jared Jones, who starts tonight. What will his role look like out of the ‘pen? The guys wondered if the role of Wilber Dotel will grow since he’s one of the few arms that has been consistently reliable. Jason mentioned Joey Bart as a trade piece the Pirates could have once he gets healthy. Jason has doubts if improving the bullpen from the outside is doable. Who are some other arms in the organization that could help the big league club?