The Pirates blew a 3–2 lead and fell to the Cubs, 4–3, in a bullpen game where Carmen gave them 4 innings of 1-run ball before the pen (Holderman → Heaney → a bloop to tie → Mattson in the 8th) couldn’t lock it down. Offensively, IKF/Horwitz manufactured a run, but the broader issue remains: not a single Pirate entered the day above league-average at the plate. We dig into bunting/fundamentals, the decision to make it a bullpen day instead of starting Heaney, and what this says about the roster.

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