PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates needed a good showing from their bullpen after coming back to take the lead vs. the St. Louis Cardinals, but didn't get that all.The Pirates bullpen gave up four earned runs over 3.1 innings pitched and the Cardinals would win 9-6 in extra innings in the series opener at Busch Stadium on May 19, dropping a game they could've won.Pittsburgh's relief pitchers have struggled for the most part in May, with different players having poor games and then good ones, with a lack of consistency that is hurting them late in games.The Pirates have ambitions of making the postseason, but unless they figure the bullpen out, they are going to have a seriously hard time achieving that goal. Issues with the Pirates Bullpen in May/Cardinals Game The Pirates bullpen has thrown 53 innings over 16 games in May, giving up 32 earned runs, which is good for a 5.43 ERA.Pittsburgh's relievers have given up a run in each of the past 10 games and last had a scoreless showing on May 7 in the 4-2 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field.May 7, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates catcher Joey Bart (14) and pitcher Gregory Soto (31) celebrate after defeating the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images | Rick Scuteri-Imagn ImagesThe Pirates bullpen has given up 23 earned runs over these last 10 contests and 39.1 innings pitched for a 5.26 ERAPirates Bullpen Game Logs in MayDate (Team)Innings PitchedEarned Runs May 1 (Cincinnati Reds)2.00May 2 (Reds)3.12May 3 (Reds)1.10May 5 (Arizona Diamondbacks)3.07May 6 (Diamondbacks)1.00May 7 (Diamondbacks)3.00May 8 (San Francisco Giants) 2.03May 9 (Giants)2.02May 10 (Giants)6.13May 12 (Colorado Rockies)1.01May 13 (Rockies)3.11May 14 (Rockies)8.02May 15 (Philadelphia Phillies)3.15May 16 (Phillies)6.01May 17 (Phillies)4.01May 19 (Cardinals)3.14They had a 4-3 lead in the bottom of the sixth inning vs. the Cardinals, with right-handed starting pitcher Mitch Keller departing before the final out and left-handed relief pitcher Evan Sisk coming in.Sisk faced a left-handed hitter in Cardinals third baseman Nolan Gorman, a seemingly advantageous situation, but instead left a sinker over the middle of the plate that Gorman sent 108.2 mph off the bat and 437 feet for a two-run home run, putting the home team back up 5-4.The Pirates had rookie right-handed pitcher Brandan Bidois come on in the bottom of the seventh inning, helping them escape a situation with runners in scoring position.Bidois also gave up a home run to Cardnals first baseman Alec Burleson, which to Bidois' credit, threw a four-seam fastball way above the strike zone that Burleson had swung upwards on and managed to send it out.The lone bright spot for the Pirates was left-handed pitcher Gregory Soto, who struck out the side in bottom of the ninth inning, after the Pirates tied it up at 6-6 in the top half of the inning, sending it into extra innings. Pirates left-handed relief pitcher Mason Montgomery would lose the game for the Pirates, who didn't score in the top half of the 10th inning, giving up a hit and then a three-run home run on a hanging curveball on a 0-2 count to Cardinals designated hitter Iván Herrera. Where Do the Pirates Go From Here With Their Bullpen?The Pirates simply need better outings from their bullpen and they can't blow leads like they have over the past two weeks.Pittsburgh had leads of 2-0, 4-2 and 6-4 vs. the San Francisco Giants in the series finale at Oracle Park on May 10, but would end up losing 7-6 in 13 innings.May 10, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Yohan Ramirez (49) throws a pitch against the San Francisco Giants during the tenth inning at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Robert Edwards-Imagn Images | Robert Edwards-Imagn ImagesThe Pirates also had leads of 6-0 in the third inning and 8-3 in the seventh inning vs. the Philadelphia Phillies, but the bullpen struggled and they would end up losing 11-9 in 10 innings.Every pitcher this month has had a few good showings, but then they will have an outing or two where they're not pitching well.Soto dominated the Cardinals, but also gave up three earned runs to in a blown save situation vs. the Phillies in the ninth inning, as they tied the game up at 8-8. Arguments about the Pirates bullpen center around them letting starting pitchers go longer, which would apply in Keller's case and not bringing Sisk in, or finding other options elsewhere.Sisk hadn't given up a home run to a lefty prior to Gorman and had a 1.42 ERA coming in, so Pirates manager Don Kelly making that change makes sense.The Pirates adding a new reliever externally is unlikely at this point, with the trade deadline not until Aug. 3 and teams unlikely to part with their top bullpen arms right now. Pittsburgh will most likely stick with the relievers they have and hope that pitchers on the team or in the minor leagues can take advantage of the chances they're given."It's something that we continue to talk about, continue to beat up," Kelly said on fixing the bullpen postgame. "And like we've talked about too is there's opportunity. There's gonna be opportunity for guys, guys that are currently on the team, externally as well. Just looking for guys to step up and claim that opportunity."The Pirates may not have time to wait to make a move for their bullpen, but for the time being, they need more consistency from their relief pitchers. Make sure to visit Pirates OnSI for the latest news, updates, interviews and insight on the Pittsburgh Pirates!Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow