PITTSBURGH — There's plenty of blame to go around when it comes to why the Pirates are losing at such an alarming rate.

Just don't blame the bullpen. It's been alarmingly effective.

"We've needed stops out of the bullpen and we've been getting them,"Pirate manager Jim Tracy said.

Through Saturday, Mike Gonzalez had allowed only one earned run in his last 11 outings. John Grabow had not allowed an inherited runner to score, Roberto Hernandez had allowed a run in just three of his last 15 appearances and Salomon Torres led the major leagues with 22 appearances.

And the most effective pitcher in the bullpen has been a name few Pirate fans even recognize:Matt Capps.

Only 22 years old, he has 19 strikeouts and three walks in 20 innings pitched. He has been scored on only once in his last 11 appearances and has struck out at least one batter in 15 of his 18 appearances this year.

Capps' pitching philosophy is a simple one.

"I'm going to go right after the hitter,"he said. "I'm not going to walk you. I want that first-pitch strike, but if I don't get it, I'm looking for a ground ball.

"We've got quite an infield with Jack Wilson, Jose Castillo, Freddy Sanchez ... I'm gonna let those guys do the work for me."

Capps isn't kidding about not walking people. In 77.2 innings pitched with Class AHickory, Class AAAltoona and the Pirates last season, he struck out 68 and walked six.

"Three of those walks were intentional,"Capps said, smiling.

Capps has never walked more than 20 batters in a season since his professional baseball career began as the Pirates' seventh-round draft selection in 2002.

The 20 walks occurred in 2004, the year Capps was

demoted to Class A short-season Williamsport."I was Hickory's opening day starter in 2004 and got rocked," he said. "Istruggled badly in every start I made."Capps was demoted to the bullpen at Hickory for his final four appearances, gave up 13 runs in 9.2 innings, and was sent packing for Williamsport.He had a 10.50 earned run average in 12 games at Hickory when he was demoted."I was lost,"Capps admitted. "I couldn't figure out what was going on."He pitched effectively for the balance of that season, but was moved to the bullpen at Hickory to begin the 2005 campaign.Capps ended last season with the Pirates after compiling 21 saves between Hickory and Altoona — third-most in the Pirates' farm system after Mark Corey (28) and Justin Kaye (22)."It was never planned for me to be a reliever. That's just the way it happens sometimes,"Capps said. "Different roles work for different guys."I don't think about things so much anymore. When I'm called upon, I attack the hitter."Making the Pirates roster out of spring training, Capps was among the many Pittsburgh pitchers hit hard in the season's first three weeks."There's an adjustment period in making the big leagues that I was never aware of,"he said. "The biggest thing is the hitters know a lot more about you. so you have to learn about them."Video is the biggest difference between the majors and minors. There's so much more information. Hitters know all about you before they even face you, so you better know about them. I had to put my work in."Now he's working on a lengthy major league career, perhaps as a closer once again."That's way down the road," he said. "Right now, I'm focusing on the next time I'm called into a game. Nothing more."As for a Class A minor league demotion in 2004 to reaching the big leagues in 2005?"Honestly, I can't say I'm surprised,"Capps said. "I always knew it was in me. I never gave up on myself."