THE BULLPEN

     Schlemeel, schlemazel! Our Pittsburgh Pirates open a 3-game set tonight against their NL Central rivals, the Milwaukee Brewers, at PNC Park. These are your keys for tonight's game. 1)With yesterday's 7-4 loss to the Tigers, the Pirates have lost 3 in a row to fall to 5-5. They're in danger of falling into their annual early-season funk. Yes, the season is a marathon, not a sprint. But Mrs. Black-N-Gold pointed out in her season preview the importance of a good start. You don't want to dig a hole so deep that you can't get out. Right the ship and Raise the Jolly Roger! 2)One of the reasons for the Bucs' woes has been the failure to take advantage of opportunities, leaving runs on the field. Yesterday, they were guilty of leaving 12 men on base. It's really quite simple what they need to do: Hit, Run & Score! 3)To make matters worse, the Buccos were just 5 for 16 with runners in scoring position. Don't leave those Bucs on the pond! Let's Go Bucs!!!!!