PITTSBURGH — The White Sox can mash all they want – and it says here they will for as long as their lineup stays healthy – it won’t matter much if they can’t get anyone out.

After giving up a whopping 13 home runs to the Giants in their first home series of the season, games in which starters Michael Kopech and Lance Lynn gave up five and three homers, respectively, Friday starter Lucas Giolito enjoyed the benefit of seven runs before manager Pedro Grifol went to his bullpen in a 13-9 loss to the Pirates.

Grifol, in his first year, looked at his starting rotation and thought he saw a strength to build around, but he might be wondering after his first eight games.

Dylan Cease pitched a gem against the Astros and allowed one run in his second start, albeit one tainted by five walks, and Mike Clevinger pitched five scoreless in the Sox’ four-game split with the World Series champion Astros to open the season.

Lynn was pretty good in his first start, although it lasted 5 2/3 innings. Beyond that, bombs away and duck for a starting unit that owns a 6.81 ERA.

It’s early, of course, but the battering has been alarming. The Pirates banged out 19 hits.

It’s also worth noting the Sox defense was not crisp, either. Luis Robert Jr. didn’t get a great jump on a pop fly that fell behind a retreating Tim Anderson, who had shot at making the play; Second baseman Elvis Andrus’ bounced a throw past Yoan Moncada on Bryan Reynolds’ triple and reliever Jimmy Lambert was not backing up – he chose home instead – and reliever Jesse Scholtens muffed a throw from Anderson squashing a chance for a double play.

Say this for Scholtens, he pitched momentarily quieted the Pirates with two scoreless innings in his major league debut after getting called up to replace the DFA’d Jose Ruiz. After the Pirates’ ruthless lineup treated the biggest crowd in Pittsburgh since 2016 by pinning seven runs on 12 hits in four innings on Giolito, Jake Diekman was charged with four more earned runs on a walk and three hits before Scholtens pitched a scoreless sixth and seventh.

The Pirates (5-2), who won their fourth straight, tacked on a needless run in the eighth.

Wasted was a pair of two-run homers, single and five RBI for Robert, a two-run homer and double for Burger and a four-hit, two stolen base day for Anderson that included a pair of doubles and Oscar Colas’ first career homer.

Clevinger faces former Sox pitcher Vince Velasquez in the second game of the series Saturday.