All numbers that point to this being the darkest day in recent Pirates history. A record-breaking shutout loss, eclipsing a standard that stood for a century. A three-game series of absolutely one-sided baseball. A Pythagorean expectation so pessimistic that it’s quite literally unbelievable.

From the tweeting machine Joel Hanrahan to recently acquired closer Octavio Dotel, to grizzled veteran Brendan Donnelly and up-and-comer Evan Meek, the number of bullpen options the Pirates have in 2010 is greatly improved over 2009.