Kevin Gorman's Take 5: After sputtering start to July, Pirates celebrate a comeback win

The music blaring inside the Pittsburgh Pirates clubhouse could be heard from the hallway, so it was no surprise to enter and see players bouncing up and down, waving their arms and dancing to the beats.

The Pirates had plenty to celebrate. They rallied from a four-run deficit for a 7-5 comeback victory over Cleveland, thanks to a five-run seventh inning sparked by strong at-bats by a pair of rookies at the bottom of their order that continued with veterans coming through at the top.

“For a lot of reasons, it’s really great,” outfielder Jack Suwinski said. “I love seeing the guys smiling and cheering and pulling for each other, coming up big in some situations, some guys having really good at-bats there, doing what they’re capable of doing. Coming back, that game was who we are and how we can play and something we can do more often.”

It’s something the Pirates haven’t done often enough. They had been outscored 96-54, in losing 12 of their first 15 games in July. That included five consecutive losses after the All-Star break as they were on the verge of being swept in successive series in the six-game homestand.

“It was a much-needed win for us today because as you guys know, the past couple of days have been very tough for us,” Ji Man Choi said. “So, we really needed this win to get the momentum going on again.”

The excitement at PNC Park surrounding the promotions of top-10 prospects Liover Peguero, Quinn Priester and Endy Rodriguez had been replaced by the sobering reality of back-to-back blowout losses after the Guardians outscored the Pirates by a combined 21-1 the first two games.

The comeback involved the Pirates drawing three walks, getting back-to-back, pinch-hit singles and a pair of two-run singles. It was reminiscent of April, when they played an unselfish brand of baseball by getting on base, moving runners and scoring runs.

“We were able to function very similar to the way we functioned earlier in the year and got some good match-ups for us,” Pirates manager Derek Shelton said, “and ended up winning the game for us.”

Now comes the hard part: repeating the process.

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1. Rookies rally: The Pirates started at least four rookies in all three games against Cleveland, but there was a drastic difference in their plate performance in Wednesday’s win.

Henry Davis, Jared Triolo, Nick Gonzales, Rodriguez and Peguero combined to go 2 for 17 with eight strikeouts and no walks in the 11-0 loss to the Guardians in the first game and 2 for 15 with eight strikeouts and one walk in the second game, a 10-1 defeat.

The third game was a different story. Davis, Triolo, Gonzales and Rodriguez combined to go 6 for 12 with three RBIs, four runs scored, four strikeouts and a pair of walks.

“It’s awesome to see them,” Suwinski said. “When they’re coming up, they know they’re playing. If they’re here, we know that they can help the team. That’s kind of what the vibe is, kind of how we’re letting them know. You watch them during the game, and they’re still talking, engaged and watching other guys do their thing. It’s a lot, but they’re doing well. It’s exciting to see what they can do and how they fit in the lineup.”

All four rookies reached base in the seventh inning, with Gonzales drawing a one-out walk, Rodriguez getting a single for his first major-league hit, Davis drawing a walk to load the bases and Triolo delivering a two-run single to pad the lead.

“Our rookies did a really good job,” Shelton said. “Triolo had a good at-bat. Gonzo had a good at-bat. Endy had a good at-bat. Henry had a good at-bat. The fact that they continued to play — and then Bryan (Reynolds) on the hustle — I think that’s really important.”

“I was like, ‘Huh?’ It’s not true,” Ke'Bryan Hayes said of rumors of him wanting a trade. “I’m fine here. I’ve been frustrated dealing with this back thing for the second time again but I’ve always loved being here.” #Pirateshttps://t.co/8KKsJZTwyl

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2. On the hustle: Shelton emphasized Reynolds “going hard and not giving up on the play” after hitting into a forceout at second with one out in the seventh inning.

Replays showed Reynolds beating Amed Rosario’s throw to first on the turn, a call that required a challenge to be overturned. Instead of an inning-ending double play, the Pirates got new life.

“He was probably frustrated that he hit a ball on the ground,” Shelton said. “(Reynolds) is safe at first, and we ended up having really good at-bats after that and are able to take the lead.”

It’s obvious Reynolds isn’t right. He spent 10 days on the injured list before the break with low back inflammation, and he is batting .143 (8 for 56) with one double, one home run and three RBIs since returning. But he’s not one to complain.

Reynolds prides himself on playing hard. With a runner on third base in the third inning, Reynolds made a diving catch in left field to save a run from scoring. With runners on first and second, he caught a pair of deep fly balls at the warning track in the fourth.

So he simply shrugged at Shelton’s compliment, as well as the impact his hustle had on the seventh-inning rally.

“I always run hard down the line,” Reynolds said. “I was obviously hoping I was safe. I thought I was when I hit the bag. It was a matter of people having good at-bats and passing the baton down the line, really.”

“I don’t know how to explain the emotion, man, but it feels really good.”@Pirates No. 3 prospect Endy Rodriguez notched his first MLB hit in a win: https://t.co/jgoBqKOuz0 pic.twitter.com/iGVz2FLUhS

— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) July 19, 2023

3. Beginning for Endy: Never mind his braces, Rodriguez was all smiles after a game of firsts.

“I don’t know how to explain the emotions, man,” Rodriguez said, “ but it feels really good.”

The 23-year-old catcher rocketed through three levels of the Pirates’ system to earn their minor-league player of the year honors in 2022. Rodriguez entered this season as their top prospect as much for his performance at the plate as behind it.

After Rodriguez struck out in six of his first seven at-bats with the Pirates, Shelton said it appeared his timing was off in making the adjustment from the minors to major-league pitching.

“It’s not like he’s on the fastball or on the breaking ball. He’s kind of in between on both, and when that happens, usually your timing’s off,” Shelton said. “Obviously, you come to the big leagues, and it’s hyped. He’s probably putting a little pressure on himself.”

With the Pirates following a night game with a day game, Shelton started Austin Hedges in hopes that watching the game from the dugout would give Rodriguez a chance to relax.

“Sometimes, it’s just a breather,” Shelton said. “Especially him, you’re talking about our top prospect coming into the big leagues. There’s a lot of hype. He goes through it and (Tuesday) seeing a ton of different arms, maybe just a day to relax and watch six innings of a big-league game.”

So, Rodriguez took it as a sign of trust when Shelton had him pinch-hit for Hedges in the seventh. Rodriguez responded by getting his first major-league hit, knocking a full-count fastball by lefty Sam Hentges to shallow center field for a single.

Rodriguez then scored his first run, which tied the score 4-4, and caught Ryan Borucki, Colin Holderman and David Bednar over the final two innings in his first win with the Pirates.

“This kid can hit,” Shelton said. “He’s hit at every level. We saw that last year with how he was climbing through our system. He’s going to get his hits. Now that he’s got that first one, it takes a little bit of pressure off.”

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— Kevin Gorman (@KevinGormanPGH) July 18, 2023

4. Ending for vets?: As the Pirates packed their bags for a West Coast road trip that starts with them facing Shohei Ohtani and the Los Angeles Angels on Friday night, there was a possibility this could have been the last full homestand for several veterans.

With the Aug. 1 trade deadline looming, scouts were at PNC Park to watch 43-year-old left-hander Rich Hill and 37-year-old first baseman Carlos Santana, as well as All-Star pitchers Mitch Keller and Bednar.

Where Keller and Bednar could be wishful thinking — it would require a strong return package for the Pirates to part with either — Hill and Santana are on one-year contracts and knew they could be late-season rentals for a contending team.

Both veterans have delivered value with their play on the field and leadership and mentoring of young players off it. Hill has had an impact on lockermate Keller, whereas Santana has taken Rodolfo Castro, Oneil Cruz and, now, Rodriguez under his wing.

Santana has been traded twice before the deadline, by the Los Angeles Dodgers to Cleveland in July 2008 and by the Kansas City Royals to the Seattle Mariners last June.

“If something happens, I cannot control it,” Santana said. “The only thing I can control is how I prepare to play every day. So I don’t think about that. If that happens, I’m fine. This is baseball. I don’t think about, where I’m going, something else. I like it here.”

Hill took his 11-year-old son, Brice, on the road trip so he could meet Ohtani. The Pirates are Hill’s 12th team in 19 major-league seasons, and he’s been traded at the deadline twice: by Oakland to the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2016 and by Tampa Bay to the New York Mets in 2021.

“I think I would be naive not to think that it’s obviously something that is out there,” Hill said. “I don’t let that affect my business and what I need to do as a professional to be ready for this team.”

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— Kevin Gorman (@KevinGormanPGH) July 19, 2023

5. Buying and selling season: Where the Pirates were in first place in the NL Central as recently as June 15, they are now 42-54 (.438) and in last place in the NL Central, 11 games back.

By comparison, the Pirates were 40-56 and in third place, 13 games back, at this time last season. In 2021, they were 36-60 and in last place, 19 1/2 games back.

So this season has only seen a slight improvement in the division standings, despite a 20-9 start in April.

Their sputtering start to July made the decision for Pirates general manager Ben Cherington as to whether they would be buyers or sellers at the Aug. 1 trade deadline.

Then again, Cherington said the Pirates can be considered both buyers and sellers, depending on the return. They have acquired four current starters in deadline deals: Suwinski and shortstop Tucupita Marcano from San Diego in the Adam Frazier trade in July 2021; Holderman from the New York Mets in the Daniel Vogelbach deal in July 2022; and Johan Oviedo from the St. Louis Cardinals for Jose Quintana and Chris Stratton in August 2022.

“Without question. It doesn’t have to be black and white, binary, whatever. You can do a combination of things,” Cherington said. “One might look a certain way, one might look like another, but it adds up in a way that pushes us forward and gets us closer to being competitive in the way we want to.”