ST. LOUIS — At an age when many of his current teammates were already training for a future in baseball, Richard Rodriguez was tending to his family's farm in the Dominican Republic. That tedious, tiresome work picking bountiful crops of plantains and rice inspired him to remain in those fields upon completing his education.
He only stumbled onto baseball at 16 years old when a childhood friend encouraged him to begin taking the sport seriously, causing him to not sign his first professional contract until four years later when the Astros discovered him at a tryout. He's since been traded, designated for assignment after pitching only five times in the majors last September and signed as a minor-league free agent by the Pirates in December.
Rodriguez, one of four non-roster invitee relievers this spring, didn't make the opening day roster at 28 years old. Yet, the lanky right-handed reliever showed Ray Searage in a bullpen between the backfields at Pirate City why the front office thought he could help the Pirates in 2018 and has since become the franchise's latest improbable success story, though he didn't pitch in the team's 4-3 win over the Cardinals on Wednesday at Busch Stadium.
"What’s allowed my career to take off and gain success is the relationships I have here and the confidence they’ve given me, especially with coaches and players," Rodriguez told DKPittsburghSports.com through translator Mike Gonzalez. "The coaches have perfected my craft and they’ve poured so much confidence in me. That’s allowed me to blossom."
Rodriguez ranks first among all National League rookie relievers with 76 strikeouts, which also is the most for a Pirates rookie since Blas Minor had 84 in 1993. He's accomplished that while walking only 17 batters in 61 innings, posting a 2.66 ERA and 1.08 WHIP. Less than one year ago, Rodriguez was designated for assignment by the Orioles after allowing nine earned runs, including four homers, in 5 2/3 innings.
He didn't fret over their decision, though. His upbringing taught him better than that. So, Rodriguez chose to pitch for Aguilas during its championship run in the Dominican Winter League. He pitched 15 innings during the postseason — the most among the league’s relief pitchers — with 23 strikeouts to three walks.
There wasn't much of a debate where to sign, either. The organization has forged a strong reputation for helping revitalize pitching careers. His teammate with Aguilas, Wandy Rodriguez, who pitched for Searage in 2014, urged him to sign as soon as possible. They were looking for middle relief options with years of experience in the majors or Triple-A, and Rodriguez was among the team's top targets.
Searage read the front office's report on Rodriguez before either man stepped into the same bullpen at the outset of spring training in February. It included details of a promising fastball and inconsistent breaking ball. Rodriguez only had to throw a few of both to convince Searage the Pirates might have found his next project.
"In spring training it was like, ‘OK, let’s see how this plays out,’ because I know he had a rough one the year before with Baltimore," Searage recalled. "Let’s see how this goes. Every time he went out there it was like, ‘OK, OK, this is so consistent and it’s working, so why fix something that isn’t broke?’ Not that we’d make him change his pitching. That’s him. I don’t want to lose his soul. It just took off."
Rodriguez is equipped with a deceptive delivery -- he throws across his body -- and the backspin on his 92 mph fastball makes the pitch look like it's "jumping out of his hand," bullpen coach Euclides Rojas said. Fatigue and ineffectiveness this spring cost him a spot on the Pirates' opening day roster, forcing him to begin the season with Triple-A Indianapolis.
That likely won't happen again after what he's accomplished the past five months. Since being recalled April 13, Rodriguez has allowed four of his 27 inherited runners to score and lefties are batting only .160 against him. He's made 10 consecutive scoreless appearances and has become one of Hurdle's most trusted high-leverage relievers.
Searage and Rojas have helped Rodriguez add a two-seam fastball. Also, Rojas has crafted a throwing program to help him repeat that deceptive delivery, as well as improve the breaking ball — two facets Rodriguez struggled with last season.
"If I could sign up for these numbers we’d do it with 12 or 13 guys," Hurdle said. "I’ve gotta give our guys that had him as one of their targets over the winter a tremendous amount of credit. You don’t see it very often. A 28-year-old rookie who actually for whatever reason spent one outing or two in Baltimore and got sent out in September, which doesn’t happen very often. ... That has been one of the better success stories we’ve all been a part of since I’ve been here."
Rodriguez began the season in a low-leverage role, mostly providing multiple innings with either a large lead or deficit. But he quickly earned Hurdle's trust with his success when runners were on base. One bad outing never fazed Rodriguez, either, a quality Searage calls "iguana skin." And Rodriguez credits his upbringing for that hardened approach in stressful situations.
Now, he's no longer in jeopardy of losing his spot on the roster. Instead of pitching in winter ball to earn a job, he might be able to finally return to those fields of plantains and rice.
"Tremendous human being," Searage said. "He’s so even-keeled. Maybe because he’s been punched in the face so many times that he says, ‘What the hell, what do I have to lose?’"
1. Taillon leans on Stallings to continue run.
Jameson Taillon looked up at the scoreboard Wednesday afternoon, where his season stats were on display for the crowd of 39,606. The 26-year-old right-hander had just pitched seven innings, pushing his total to 174 over 29 starts, both career highs. Remember, he missed time last season after undergoing surgery for testicular cancer and struggled upon returning, posting a 5.96 ERA and 1.61 WHIP in 14 starts after the All-Star break.
His latest effort, which included four strikeouts and four hits surrendered, was his 19th consecutive start allowing three or fewer earned runs. That's the first time a Pirates pitcher has accomplished that feat since Bob Friend's 23 straight in 1963, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
He's also only one of two starters in the majors to do so this season, joining the Mets' Jacob deGrom, a Cy Young candidate. "If it’s something that hasn’t been done since 1963, you’re doing something right," Taillon said. "It’s been a fun run."
Backed by Jacob Stallings' three RBIs, Taillon earned his team-leading 13th win of the season and lowered his ERA to 3.37, the 10th-lowest mark in the National League. Trevor Williams is ranked ninth with a 3.28 ERA over 28 starts. Taillon also has struck out 156 with 42 walks and has pitched through at least the sixth inning in 10 of his last 12 starts.
He did it this time against a potent lineup he's already faced twice this season. The first inning was rocky — Marcell Ozuna hit an RBI single after Taillon issued a leadoff walk to Matt Carpenter — however, he retired 19 of the next 21 batters he faced, stranding a pair of runners on third base.
Cardinals starter Daniel Poncedeleon tripled to lead off the third when left fielder Pablo Reyes misplayed a ball, only for Taillon to retire three in a row. Harrison Bader reached third on a stolen base in the fifth, but Taillon got Carpenter to line out to second to strand him there.
"He’s been doing it, so I don’t think anybody was surprised by the outing," Hurdle said of Taillon. "Maybe the leadoff walk, and they scratched him for a run there. He settled in and made pitches. The complete mix of pitches. … All the pitches were in good sequences. ... Real strong."
Both Hurdle and Taillon gave credit to Stallings, who was making his fifth big league start of the season.
2. Vazquez goes the distance.
Felipe Vazquez earned the six-out save after being called on with two on and nobody out in the eighth. The only inherited runner that scored happened after Corey Dickerson lost a fly ball in the sun. The Pirates' closer encountered another jam in the ninth when Carson Kelly singled to cut the lead to one run with one out.
Vazquez then struck out two in a row, capped by a slider that fooled Carpenter to end the game, stranding two in scoring position.
"We went with the slider and luckily, Felipe threw it in the same window he had been throwing those fastballs," Stallings explained. "It came right back over the plate and froze him. Anytime you can freeze a hitter like that in that situation it's a good pitch."
That was Vazquez's 32nd career save and 22nd in a row, the longest active streak in the NL. It also was his second career two-inning save and his first since October 2015 with the Nationals. Remember, Vazquez unraveled in this same ballpark May 31, when he allowed a walkoff grand slam to Yairo Muñoz.
That was his last blown save. He now has 79 strikeouts to 22 walks in 62 innings.
3. Roster decisions looming next spring.
Stallings, Jordan Luplow and Pablo Reyes, all likely candidates for the roster next season, each had at least two hits against the Cardinals. Stallings, who is out of minor-league options after this season, converted on two bases-loaded opportunities, driving in one run with a sacrifice fly in the second and delivering a two-run single in the sixth.
Luplow also had three singles, including one to drive in a run in the third, and made a diving catch to end the fourth inning. While Reyes misplayed a ball in left, he also reached safely in three of four plate appearances, including two singles and a walk. Roster spots aren't won in September, yet each is adding some weight to his success in Triple-A.
Stallings' work with Taillon, as well as the progress on offense, gives the Pirates three viable catchers for next season. Luplow, meanwhile, could be the team's fourth outfielder and Reyes will compete to be the utility man.