THE BULLPEN

     Happy Bucs & Pucks Day! Got kind of tired of packing and unpacking! Our Pittsburgh Pirates continue their series in Cincy this afternoon as they battle the Reds. These are your keys for today's game. 1)RH Gerrit Cole will make his season debut today. Cole broke out in a big way last season, winning 19 games and making his first All-Star appearance right here in Cincy. All aboard the Cole Train for a win! 2)The Pirates came back last night, thanks to LF Starling Marte's first career granny, to win the opener 6-5. That has the Bucs out to a 4-0 start. Unfortunately, the Buccos showed reasons why they won't go 162-0. Going 2 for 11 with runners in scoring position, sloppy defense and shoddy baserunning are ways to play yourself right out of a game. Marte bailed them out with one swing. You've got to mind your fundamentals. The word mental is part of that for a reason. Keep your heads in the game! 3)Last night notwithstanding, the Pirates small ball approach seems to be working in the early goings. The Bucs are 2nd in MLB with a.390 on base percantage. Mrs. Black-N-Gold is down with OBP. But you gotta bring them home. Show us more Hit, Run, & Score! Let's Go Bucs!!!!!