They all talked like it didn't matter.
But you could practically hear the elephant in the room trumpeting along.
"We're all professionals. We are human, and a lot of crazy stuff happened today in our world," Cole Tucker was telling me at his locker. "But when the game starts and the umpire says 'play ball,' I mean, it's baseball. So it's business as usual. Obviously the game didn't reflect that."
No, the game most certainly didn't reflect that. Not on this Tuesday night at PNC Park, when the Pirates fell, 6-0, to the Mariners hours after news broke that the team's All-Star closer, Felipe Vazquez, was arrested on what Chris Archer called "heinous" charges before the game.
Speaking with reporters prior to first pitch, Clint Hurdle insisted the team would move on and play baseball. Vazquez's arrest was in the past, and there it'd stay. His club had a job to do, and that's exactly where their focus would shift.
The players, for their part, said that much materialized.
"We didn't play that great or win the game, which sucks, but I definitely feel like we were locked in on the game," Tucker offered.
"Yeah, I think [we were able to move past it]. Tonight just wasn't our night," Kevin Newman was telling me. "So I don't think that was carried out onto the field."
Then there was Joe Musgrove, whom I caught as he was lacing up his shoes and about to head out the door. Throughout this season, Musgrove's provided insight after insight, always generous and thorough with his time. Additionally, Musgrove has developed a bit of a leadership presence throughout this tumultuous 2019 season for these Pirates. Now, when something like this happens?
That's when a voice like Musgrove's can shine. Only ... not this time. And his explanation makes perfect sense.
"What happened with Felipe is kind of a gut-punch to everybody, and it's nothing that anybody saw coming," Musgrove was telling me. "As far as that, making any kind of speech in here, I don't think really needs to be said until we have more information on it, until we have a better idea of what's actually happening. I think we'll address that as a team as it comes. But we talked with [Pirates President Frank Coonelly] today. He filled us in on what he knows. But all we know really is what the reports say.
"I don't think, from a leadership standpoint, there's much you can do but try to move on and try to finish out these last 12, 15 games. I think there's a lot of other issues that have gone on throughout the course of the year that needed to be addressed more, so we'll talk about those things moving forward more so than we will Felipe."
Look, I believe Musgrove. And Tucker and Newman. I really do. But this was a unique, unexpected and severe situation. Simply as humans, as Tucker put it, that's gotta linger more than just a couple hours, right?
"It's tough," Musgrove conceded. "We lost one of the best closers in baseball, we lost a teammate, we lost a friend. But we're professionals, and our job is to go out there and play the game regardless. Everyone's dealing with stuff on a daily basis that a lot of us don't know about that they keep to themselves because it's their job to come here and play and try not to put that burden on other people. So I think everyone did their best to go out and play. I'm sure there was some effect and some, you know, carryover from that whole Felipe incident. I think tomorrow we're going to come in a little bit fresher and a little bit more at ease with the reality of what's going on."
That'll be welcome. Because Tuesday night, everything on the field felt secondary.
And it was.
• A game was, in fact, played Tuesday evening at PNC Park. Mitch Keller started for the Pirates, going five innings while giving up six hits and two earned runs while striking out seven and walking a pair. It wasn't perfect, but it was much better than his last outing, another five-inning performance in which he gave up five earned runs on nine hits.
"I thought I threw the ball pretty well," Keller said after the game.
Hurdle agreed, but he also acknowledged the work left to be done.
"I thought he did some things better tonight," Hurdle began. "No multiple-run innings, the innings they did score. He did a better job with two strikes, putting people away. He had seven punchouts. The two numbers that twisted his night as far as extending his pitch count: He only retired two hitters on three pitches or less; he had six three-ball counts."
• On the other side, Marco Gonzales blew through the Pirates' lineup time and again, tossing seven scoreless innings.
"[He changed] speeds effectively [and] pitched off his fastball," Hurdle said. "When he threw it, he threw it where he wanted it ... We had a lot — I think close to 10 guys were retired [on] three pitches or less, played off our adrenaline a little bit."
• I'd be remiss if I talked about Gonzales' work without actually, you know, mentioning the Pirates' lineup. Here it was today:
- Newman (SS)
- Adam Frazier (2B)
- Melky Cabrera (RF)
- Jose Osuna (1B)
- Elias Diaz (C)
- Colin Moran (3B)
- Erik Gonzalez (CF)
- Kevin Kramer (LF)
- Keller (SP)
No Josh Bell, no Bryan Reynolds, no Starling Marte.
No runs.
• Reynolds (and Newman) Watch: As just mentioned, Reynolds didn't play, so his average holds at .322, good for fourth in the NL. With a 1-for-4 night, Newman holds at sixth place (.317) in a tie with Jeff McNeil. Anthony Rendon leads the pack at .332, with Christian Yelich (.329), Ketel Marte (.326) and Charlie Blackmon (.319) making up the rest.
• Hold on, you say ... If Keller only allowed two, how did the Mariners score six runs? Surely the bullpen didn't perform that poorly!
Oh, but it did (and don't call me Shirley!). Here is Michael Feliz's third pitch of the night, to Omar Narvaez, who went 3 for 4 with two RBIs on the night:
And here's the very next batter, Austin Nola:
Williams Jerez also gave up a home run and allowed two runs total. Clay Holmes put up a clean inning in the eighth, then Wei-Chung Wang tallied two outs and a walk before yielding to Parker Markel to finish things off in the ninth.
Not exactly inspiring stuff from the home team.
• In happier news, my gyro from Papa Duke's was delicious.
• I saw a kid leaving the Rivendale ice cream stand with the biggest smile and a smear of what appeared to be cookies 'n' cream on his face. That was awesome. That kid doesn't care about all this. He's just having some ice cream at the ballpark. Felt good to see. Genuinely.
• This matters:
WHAT A FINISH! THE CROWD GOES MODERATELY ENTHUSED! BAH GAWWWD! #dkps #pirates pic.twitter.com/DbfQAmdO6O
— Hunter Alek Homistek (@HunterAHomistek) September 18, 2019
• Today's announced attendance: 10,398.
Not a chance. Not even close. This was right before first pitch:
OK, we joke a lot, but this is FOR REAL the emptiest I’ve ever seen PNC Park. #dkps #pirates pic.twitter.com/jOted00uZ7
— Hunter Alek Homistek (@HunterAHomistek) September 17, 2019
• Center fielder Gonzalez had two hits tonight, both singles. That's something.
THE ESSENTIALS
• Boxscore
THE INJURIES
• Chris Archer (shoulder, out for season)
• Gregory Polanco (shoulder, out for season)
• Josh Bell (groin, likely done for year)
• Lonnie Chisenhall (60-day IL, probably now really glad he sat this one out)
Here’s the most recent full report.
THE SCHEDULE
Game 2 goes down tomorrow at 7:05 p.m. right back here at PNC Park. Alex Stumpf has the full coverage of that one, beginning with the opening of the clubhouse at 3:15 p.m.
THE COVERAGE
All our baseball content, including Mound Visit by Jason Rollison, can be found on our Pirates page.
