CLEVELAND — The biggest game of Billy Cook’s career was amazingly preceded by the biggest moment of his personal life.
While many of his Pirates teammates were vacationing or otherwise relaxing last week over the All-Star break, Cook got married. Yes, married.
“It wasn’t a courthouse thing,” Cook said. “We didn’t elope.”
No, Cook was simply being a good teammate, the same as his role around the Pirates.
Turns out Cook’s wife, Amelia, has a brother in the Army who will deploy in September. They wanted to have something he could attend, which led to the Cooks tying the knot this past Tuesday at Spruce Mountain Ranch in Larkspur, Colo.
In his first second-half start with the Pirates, Cook enjoyed one heck of a wedding present, tallying three hits, including a triple, two RBIs, two runs scored, a stolen base and an outfield assist in Pittsburgh’s 7-1 victory over the Guardians at Progressive Field.
Instead Cook — the cone hoister, the welder’s mask distributor, the first-pitch catcher, the vibes guy — became the center of attention for a change.
“He deserves every single bit of that game,” Jake Mangum said. “Works his tail off. Great human being. Great family. Couldn't be happier."
“If we need vibes, he's got vibes,” Paul Skenes said. “If we need a double, he's got a double. If we need an unbelievable play in center field, he's got that, too.
“It was fun to watch [Sunday].”
And exactly what the Pirates (52-48) needed to take the series, erase the frustration from the second half of Saturday's doubleheader and improve to 10-6 amid a 22-game run against teams .500 or better.
While Skenes gave the Pirates seven innings of one-run ball, striking out eight in his first start of this length since May 12, Cook did a little bit of everything to carve out his own slice of attention.
The signature game of Cook’s career to this point started with a run-scoring single in the second inning, giving the Pirates a 1-0 lead. After Nick Gonzales led off with the first of his two doubles on the afternoon, Cook went the opposite way with a hanging, two-strike curveball.
Two innings later, Cook flashed his arm strength when Guardians designated hitter Chase DeLauter tried to score from third on a fly ball to center off the bat of first baseman Kyle Manzardo.
Cook delivered a strike to end the inning and preserve what was, at the time, a 1-1 tie.
“I think [Sunday] he showed why we put him in on defense at the end of games,” Pirates manager Don Kelly said. “He’s got the strongest arm on the team in the outfield. He certainly showed that off today.”
After his laser beam, Cook helped the Pirates grab a 2-1 lead in the fifth when he led off with a triple and scored when catcher Patrick Bailey threw wildly to third base.
It was an impressive swing considering how little Cook has played, but he credited his ability to keep things simple and consistent, taking advantage of whatever extra work he can get and never getting too complicated in his approach.
"Just trying to replicate a game,” Cook said. “We have that Trajekt machine at home and we've got coaches, so during the game I'll come and hit.
“If there's the possibility of an at-bat or a start, we'll prepare for that the best we can with machine work, flips and BP work, all the different things. Not necessarily playing in the game, but replicate it as close as we can."
Whatever routine Cook has found, Sunday offered evidence that he shouldn’t change. His out-of-nowhere day was the espresso shot this team desperately needed after failing to properly close out a doubleheader.
In the sixth, as the Pirates struck for three more runs, Cook made it a 4-1 game with his line-drive single to center on a first-pitch fastball up, lacing it at 100.2 mph. He later stole second, Cook’s fifth stolen base of the season.
Add it up, and it equals to the same number of hits Cook has amassed while appearing in 35 games from May 3-July 18.
It’s due to Cook’s unique role on the Pirates — there for his defense, speed and vibes, his willingness to do whatever’s asked.
But with a left-handed pitcher on the mound and the Pirates in need of a spark, the newly married Cook identified an opportunity and seized it.
The result was (jokingly) usurping attention from Skenes — “I'm fine being overshadowed,” Skenes said, “as long as we win” — while coming up clutch in several ways.
“You just embrace your role,” Cook said. “When I get opportunities like this, I’m grateful for them. But I don't for another week, I'm not going to go crazy.
“It's whatever is best for the team, and I'll be ready.”
Jason Mackey: Jason.Mackey@pirates.com and @JMackey_PGH on X.