Tucupita Marcano becoming a bright spot for Pirates while serving as a stopgap at shortstop

Tucupita Marcano came to bat with two runners on base in the fifth inning but got behind in the count after swinging at a slider and fouling off a changeup against Arizona’s Merrill Kelly.

Marcano worked a full count then smacked a tying, two-run double to the right-field corner for the Pittsburgh Pirates in Sunday’s 8-3 loss to the Diamondbacks at PNC Park.

“I battled through the whole at-bat,” Marcano said through interpreter Stephen Morales. “It was 0-2 right away, but every other pitch, I felt better and better through that at-bat and that was the outcome. I hit the ball good because I was seeing the ball pretty good during that at-bat.”

Marcano was a bright spot for the Pirates in their three-game series against Arizona, making nice defensive plays on Friday and Saturday before coming up big with his bat Sunday. After slashing .206/.256/.306 in 49 games last season, the 23-year-old Venezuelan has provided stability at shortstop in the absence of the injured Oneil Cruz.

Since April 30, Marcano is batting .256 with two doubles, a home run and four RBIs in starting 11 of the past 18 games at shortstop. He has reduced his strikeout rate from 24.9% last season, when he had 44 strikeouts and 10 walks, to 12.7% this season, and increased his batting average by 44 points and his on-base percentage by 73 points.

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“He’s having better swings,” Pirates manager Derek Shelton said. “We’re talking about a kid that is getting more comfortable, just continues to get better offensively. He’s a guy that you can do a lot with because he handles the bat really well.”

At an exit velocity of 105.5 mph, per Statcast, Marcano’s double tied with his 413-foot home run against Colorado on May 10 for his hardest hit of the season. Marcano credits a change in his plate approach, both in widening his stance and holding the bat lower.

“I really think his swing is starting to be a little bit smoother than we’ve seen in the past,” Shelton said. “He’s in a stronger position to hit. He’s not an overly physical guy, so he’s got to get in a strong position to hit. I think he’s done that with what his set-up looks like.”

Marcano has put himself in good position in the field, as well. In Friday’s 13-3 win over Arizona, Marcano chased a Christian Walker pop fly into shallow left and made an over-the-shoulder catch as Bryan Reynolds slid under him.

In Saturday’s 4-3 loss to the Diamondbacks, Marcano made a diving stop to his left on a Corbin Carroll grounder up the middle with two outs and runners on second and third base to save a run in the sixth.

“I get the first step off the bat, and that gave me the chance to at least knock it down. I was thinking about making a play at first, but then it was too late,” Marcano said. “After that, my mindset went to, ‘Knock the ball down and keep it in the infield.’ ”

The ball bounced off Marcano’s glove and was picked up second baseman Ji Hwan Bae, whose throw almost got the speedy Carroll out at first base. Josh Rojas scored to cut it to 3-2, but Ketel Marte was stranded at third base. Arizona scored the winning runs on Pavin Smith’s two-run home run in the seventh.

“At the time, that looked like it was going to be a big factor in the game,” Shelton said, noting that Marcano also had to come in to make a play on his backhand side. “He’s played well at short.”

Although Marcano made his biggest impact Sunday with his bat, he turned a pair of inning-ending 3-6-3 double plays with first baseman Carlos Santana in the fifth and eighth.

After playing mostly left field and second base last season, Marcano is bringing a utility player mentality to shortstop by focusing on being prepared and making the routine plays. Marcano had minus-1 defensive runs saved but has only one error in 15 games at shortstop compared to Rodolfo Castro’s six in 23 games this season.

“Not exactly a confidence at shortstop, but just a product of hard work during the work days,” Marcano said. “Up here, you can feel confidence, but you have to work hard to do what I’m doing right now. It’s a product of me working hard to fill the needs of the team.”