PITTSBURGH -- The Pirates didn't have the benefit of a towering home run or a game-changing extra-base hit for much of the game. Somebody didn't turn in a long start on the mound, and the bullpen didn't have an opportunity to lock down a clutch save in the ninth inning.
It didn't matter. The Pirates found a way to win when things weren't going their way, and that’s not something they could have said early on in many recent seasons.
Pirates infielder Nick Yorke drove in Bryan Reynolds with an RBI double in the bottom of the 9th inning to defeat the Orioles, 3-2, Saturday afternoon at PNC Park.
Yorke was just 2-for-10 in his first five games this season prior to his recent late-game heroics. He spent the final five innings of the game splitting time between the home clubhouse’s batting cages and the top step of the dugout, looking to pick up tendencies from Baltimore relievers in the event his jersey number was called upon.
He just happened to be summoned in the biggest stretch of the game.
Facing Orioles closer Ryan Helsley, Yorke fell behind 1-2, before fouling off two pitches and taking a pair of balls to run the count full. He then drove an 89.1 mph slider just over the head of Baltimore left fielder Dylan Beavers, driving in the game-winning run.
“Just a lot of fun,” the third-year Pirates infielder said. “Having that crowd was electric. Just happy I could come through for the boys.”
As a pinch-hitter, Yorke said he tries to keep his approach as routine and similar as possible to that of when he’s in the starting lineup. He tries to prepare like he’s getting a handful of at-bats, and then compete when given an opportunity. Pirates manager Don Kelly praised Yorke’s even-keeled approach over the first month of the season, even when things haven't gone his way in limited plate appearances.
“He’s continued to get better, he's continued to be more consistent with it,” Kelly said.
“The versatility is huge that he brings to the team being able to play all over. He continues to have really good at-bats.”
Yorke impressed during Spring Training, batting .271 with a home run and six RBIs in 18 games.
“So proud of him,” Kelly said. “The way that he grinded through Spring Training, he swung the bat way better than even his numbers looked. I mean, he hit some balls into the wind down in Florida that would have easily been home runs. Proud of him for sticking with it.”
With the Pirates trailing 2-1 in the eighth, pinch-hitter Jake Mangum got the comeback started by chopping a weakly hit ground ball onto the right side of the infield. Orioles reliever Anthony Nunez was unable to secure the ball into his glove, and Yorke scampered in from third to score the tying run.
Quite simply, the bottom of Pittsburgh's lineup was due. The Pirates had left nine runners on base through the previous seven innings, much of that coming against Baltimore starting pitcher Shane Baz.
Kelly understands the difficulty of pinch-hitting late in a game. It was something he was tasked with a bunch during his nine-year career. It’s a skill that not every player is cut out for.
“Those at-bats are tough late in the game, especially when you’re facing backend [relievers] and you’re down,” Kelly said. “Just the way that they were able to compete in those moments. I thought [Yorke], especially against Helsley, took some really good pitches, found a way to foul off 100 [mph], which is really difficult to do, and then caught one out front and drove it. It was great.”
Kelly understands that players thriving in less consistent roles is a sign of togetherness. After the game, he continued to praise his team's readiness at any moment during the course of the game.
“Just the way that they’re buying into the team concept of winning and finding a way to win, it’s been really cool to see,” he said. “That's what we're going to have to do as we go through the season. We talked about continuing to stack at-bats, get guys on base, and find ways to manufacture some runs when we need it. And we will hit some home runs as well.”