A dizzying day of Pirates debuts for OFs Jack Suwinski, Tucupita Marcano, RHP Beau Sulser
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When the Altoona Curve team bus pulled into Akron on Tuesday morning, players were instructed not to go to their rooms but instead to an impromptu meeting. That’s where manager Kieran Mattison called Tucupita Marcano and Jack Suwinski to the front of hotel lobby.
“It’s crazy how you’re two, three weeks in Double-A and, all of a sudden, it’s still really early in the season and the manager tells you and another guy in front of the whole team that you’re going up,” Suwinski said. “You don’t really see it coming. It’s just tons of emotions.”
Pirates OF Jack Suwinski talks about jumping from Double-Altoona to making his major league debut. pic.twitter.com/VHZqUAnmb7
— Kevin Gorman (@KevinGormanPGH) April 27, 2022
Added Marcano, through translator Mike Gonzalez: “I was like, ‘Man, what did I do?’ Whenever he called me up, that’s when he told me that we were going to the show.”
Marcano and Suwinski made the jump from Double-A to MLB on short notice after the Pittsburgh Pirates placed All-Star outfielder Bryan Reynolds and infielder/outfielder Cole Tucker on the covid-19 injured list while awaiting their test results. That made for a long but memorable day for two of the three players acquired from the San Diego Padres last July in the Adam Frazier trade.
Starting in right field in his MLB debut, Suwinski went 1 for 4 and reached on an infield error and a single for his first major league hit. Marcano made his Pirates debut, getting a pinch-hit double and scoring a run in the eighth inning and throwing out Rowdy Tellez at the plate in the ninth in the 12-8 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers at PNC Park.
“It was challenging,” Pirates manager Derek Shelton said. “They had to rent a car and drive to get here. They get here around 4:15, then all of a sudden they’re in the lineup.”
The 23-year-old Suwinski, ranked the Pirates’ No. 24 prospect by Baseball America, was riding a nine-game hitting streak at Altoona and batting .353 (18 for 51) with eight doubles, three home runs, 13 RBIs, a .421 OBP and a 1.107 OPS in 13 games.
“Honestly, Jack has been swinging the bat as well as anybody in the system right now,” Shelton said. “Tuca with his ability to play multiple positions — we saw him go out to left field — we were comfortable with him coming.”
Marcano, 22, made his major league debut with the Padres last season but was demoted after hitting .182 in 25 games. The Pirates’ No. 27 prospect, he was hitting .250 (9 for 36) with a homer and two RBIs in 11 games with Altoona this season while making nine starts in left field and two at second base.
Suwinski and Marcano didn’t say much on their drive to Pittsburgh — “We were probably feeling the same thing, just a lot happening all at once,” Suwinski said — and were greeted by Pirates coaches and teammates upon arriving during pregame batting practice.
“We kind of just jumped right into it,” Suwinski said. “There’s no other way. You don’t have time to slow down. It was good how we did it. We went out there and saw how the field plays and hit in the cage. Next thing, it was game time right there.”
Their quick call-up was quite different than that of right-handed reliever Beau Sulser, who had a heat pack on his arm while preparing to make a start for Triple-A Indianapolis when he was told Saturday that he was joining the Pirates.
“I wasn’t upset, but I was a little like hopefully this doesn’t take too long because I’ve got my heat pack on, we’re getting ready to rock and roll and head out to the field,” Sulser said. “That was my first question: ‘I don’t need this heat pack anymore?’”
Pirates RHP Beau Sulser reflects on striking out five-time All-Star and 2013 NL MVP Andrew McCutchen, the first batter he faced in his major league debut. pic.twitter.com/GWud9nbp0H
— Kevin Gorman (@KevinGormanPGH) April 27, 2022
Sulser went eight days between outings before making his major league debut against the Brewers, but it proved worth the wait. He started by striking out five-time All-Star and 2013 NL MVP Andrew McCutchen, fanning four of the first five Brewers he faced.
“I don’t know if it’s really sunk in,” Sulser said. “I think it’s really cool. I also think it’s cool to do it here at PNC. He came up with the Pirates, obviously, and he’s a really good hitter. Hopefully, there’s more of them to come.”
Sulser allowed two runs (both unearned) on two hits and one walk in 2⅔ innings in his major league debut, impressing Shelton with his effectiveness after the long layoff between outings.
“It was an awesome experience,” Sulser said. “I kept telling them it didn’t feel like I was actually in the big leagues yet until I threw. Last couple days just felt like I was riding along with the team so it was nice to get out there. It’s everything you dream of.”