Tucupita Marcano draws praise as 'player of the game' after standout showing against Brewers

Tucupita Marcano awoke Wednesday morning feeling like something good was about to happen, then learned that the Pittsburgh Pirates were recalling the 22-year-old rookie to the majors.

And that wasn’t even the best part of his day.

After receiving word of his promotion, Marcano went 3 for 4 with an RBI and a run scored and made a pair of spectacular defensive plays in the Pirates’ 8-7 walk-off win over the Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday night at PNC Park.

When AT&T SportsNet conducted a postgame interview with Bryan Reynolds following his ninth-inning home run off Brewers All-Star Devin Williams, Pirates manager Derek Shelton teased him.

“I told Reynolds after the game I thought Tucupita was the player of the game. I don’t know why they were interviewing him,” Shelton said. “We continue to talk about his kid being a baseball player, and he really demonstrated it. He did a lot of really good things.”

It was Marcano’s third call-up this season, and it came on the heels of a red-hot July. Marcano slashed .362/.433/.500 with five doubles, one homer and five RBIs in 14 games at Indianapolis, giving the Pirates motivation to promote him when they decided to designate first baseman Yoshi Tsutsugo for assignment.

“I’ve just gotta keep showing up, show my consistency, show everyone that I’m here to help the team win,” Marcano said before the game. “There’s going to be things outside of my control. The business part that I can’t control. But what I can control is my mindset, my effort, and I’m coming up here to help the team win.”

Tucupita ties it!!! pic.twitter.com/GPSHwP9Nka

— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) August 4, 2022

Marcano did just that, providing a spark after the Pirates fell behind 4-0. He singled to start the third inning, reaching third after the Brewers walked Reynolds and Ben Gamel with two outs and scoring on a two-run single to right by Ke’Bryan Hayes to cut it to 4-2. Marcano hit a two-out triple in the third but was stranded. His RBI single in the sixth scored Michael Chavis to tie the game at 4-4.

“He’s a good player,” Reynolds said. “He goes out there, hits the ball hard and plays hard. It was fun to watch.”

Oh My Marcano! pic.twitter.com/q7meoagwrQ

— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) August 4, 2022

Reynolds got a magnified view when Marcano made a diving catch in front of him in left-center to rob Kolten Wong of an extra-base hit in the seventh that Shelton called “an unbelievable play.” Reynolds was chasing the fly ball and clipped Marcano with his foot but wasn’t about to complain about the close call.

“I mean, it got caught and we’re both here, so it’s good,” Reynolds said. “It worked. We got an out.”

When Kevin Newman had his right hand stepped on by Brewers first baseman Rowdy Tellez in a rundown, Marcano moved from left to second base in the ninth inning. He was shifted behind second base and fielded a Hunter Renfroe grounder up the middle.

“It looked like he came out of nowhere,” Shelton said.

It was the kind of game Marcano wanted to play, one that showcased the hitting and field work he did with Indianapolis manager Miguel Perez and bench coach Gary Green to “master every bit of my craft, from defense to offense, trying to get better in every situation possible.”

“That’s the mindset,” Marcano said. “I’m here to help the team win every way possible. I’m always trying to do things right, do things correctly. That’s the way I was taught, to do things right (and) results will come. To be able to come over here, help the team win and show the team I’m here for them, that means the world for me.”