When Ross Ohlendorf took the mound Sept. 3, he became the 13th pitcher to start a game for the 2008 Pirates.

And there was nothing lucky about the team's starting mound corps last season.

The Pirates' pitching staff wound up last in the National League with a 5.08 team earned run average and 657 walks. Only the St. Louis Cardinals (957) had fewer than the Bucs' 963 strikeouts.

Despite such negative numbers, the Pirates were 50-2 when leading after seven innings — the best such record in the NLand second in all of baseball to the New York Yankees' 73-2.

"We've got the bullpen,"left-handed starter Paul Maholm said. "It's on us (starters) to give our team a chance to win the game.

"That's my goal every fifth day. Our starting five needs to have that mind-set. We need to push each other, challenge each other."

Maholm, 26, emerged as the ace of the Pirates rotation last year, finishing 9-9 with a 3.71 earned run average and 206 innings.

Ian Snell was the ace in 2006, winning 14 games, but he hasn't found the same form since. Tom Gorzelanny was the top starter in 2007, winning 14 games, and wound up in the minor leagues last year.

"Both of those guys threw a lot of innings during their big years and that effected them,"Maholm said. "Everybody's different, but I've been guarding against that. My arm is strong going into this season."

Pitchers and catchers report to spring training Feb. 13 and Maholm heads to Florida as the only Pirates starting pitcher assured of a spot in the rotation.

Others battling for spots include Snell, Gorzelanny, Zach Duke, Jimmy Barthmaier, Phil Dumatrait, Jeff Karstens, Ohlendorf, Daniel McCutcheon and Rule 5 pick-up Donnie Veal.

The Pirates could add another arm or two as nonroster invitees between now and the start of spring training.

"It's a little different when you're down there trying to earn a job,"Ohlendorf said. "You need to get people out.

"Paul will have the luxury of working on some pitches and just getting himself ready. But he's earned that luxury."

Ohlendorf, 26, came to the Pirates with McCutcheon, Karstens and outfield prospect Jose Tabata in a trade with the New York Yankees for outfielder Xavier Nady and relief pitcher Damaso Marte.

He made five starts with the Pirates, going 0-3 with a 6.35 ERA. The Pirates converted Ohlendorf back to a starter after the Yankees used him in relief.

Ohlendorf pitched against the Pirates at PNCPark last summer.

"I was excited about the trade because I prefer to be a starter,"Ohlendorf said. "It was tough making the Yankees bullpen out of spring training because guys like LaTroy Hawkins, Mariano Rivera and Kyle Farnsworth were already assured of jobs.

"At least here, I'll get a chance to show what I can do."

Ohlendorf worked with new Pirates pitching coach Joe Kerrigan when the two were in the Yankees system.

"He's big on scouting and breaking down the other team's hitters,"Ohlendorf said. "And he is a very hands-on type of coach.

"During our recent minicamp, he caught everybody's bullpen session. He could have assigned anybody to do that, but he wanted to see what all of us threw first-hand."

Kerrigan replaces Jeff Andrews, who was fired after one season as the Bucs' pitching coach.

"Ihired Jeff Andrews and he's a great guy and tremendous coach, but I put him in the wrong position at this (big league)level,"Pirates general manager Neal Huntington said. "Joe Kerrigan is the right fit for these guys."

Maholm has certain numbers in mind for 2009.

"Thirty-plus starts, 200 innings, 15 wins,"he said. "Those should be the original target numbers of every pitcher in the rotation.

"If we produce more wins as starters, we'll produce a winning season."