CLEVELAND -- Do you want the good or the bad news first?
The bad: The Pirates bullpen was pulverized by the Indians Monday night in Cleveland, scoring runs off every reliever the Pirates threw out there in an 11-7 Pirates loss.
The good: Cole Tucker did this:
Without context, that is a really good catch. With context, it is incredible. That was Tucker's first inning in center field, a position he only started taking reps in a couple days ago, and he looked pretty comfortable around Progressive Field's 19-foot wall.
"I’m glad it looked that way," Tucker said in a postgame Zoom call. "I was scared because walls hurt."
"I was like, ‘I’d rather miss the ball than like break my leg and my arm.’ But I just got in this mode where I my athleticism just took over," Tucker added later.
Yeah, don't break anything. The outfield depth is already shaky enough as is. That's the reason why Tucker was out on the grass after all.
Last week, the Pirates were dealt a serious blow when Gregory Polanco tested positive for COVID-19. They only invited five outfielders to summer camp, and one of them, Socrates Brito, missed the first half of the workouts as he himself was recovering from the virus.
So with Kevin Newman and Adam Frazier blocking him in the infield, the Pirates started to experiment with Tucker in the outfield this week, working with with first base and outfield coach Tarrik Brock.
"They were like, ‘Hey, how would you feel about getting some looks in the outfield?’ " Tucker said, referring to Derek Shelton and Ben Cherington. "I was like, 'Oh, yeah, of course’ — actually, I used a little more vulgar language. I was very excited about the opportunity to get playing time, have an opportunity to make a difference on the field and play somewhere where I think my athleticism will really play. So, I was excited about it and I still am excited about it."
It is the first time, by Tucker's recollection, that he had played outfield since his sandlot days. In the intrasquad game Sunday, the defense consisted almost entirely of coaches and team personnel, except for Tucker who was playing center field, as they tried to prepare him for Monday's game.
Shelton has said Tucker could potentially play all three outfield positions because of his athleticism, though to this point, he has only tried right and center during workouts. He doesn't have much of a preference where he winds up, though.
"The fast guys play center field, so the ego in me wants play center field," Tucker said. "But I don't really care. Like I said before, the most important places position is the lineup card, as long as you're on it."
As for the aforementioned catch:
"“He made a heck of a play on that ball," Shelton said in a postgame Zoom call. "From an infielder going to the outfield, the wall is one of the toughest things to navigate, and I thought he did a really nice job with it.”
Tucker's night in the field started routine enough. He entered the game playing right field in the fifth inning, so of course the first pitch of the inning would be hit in his direction: A liner down the line in right that he was able to cut off to hold Cesar Hernandez to a single.
Later in the inning, he tracked down a pop fly. After snagging it, Jarrod Dyson shouted some encouragement from center.
Dyson dealt out more praise after the big catch.
"Dyson has been awesome helping me out," Tucker said. "Letting me know that I can do it, that I look athletic out there and helping me with positioning, angles and all the reads and stuff. Someone who has won a World Series and played a ton of outfield. Feel pretty good. I just checked my phone. He’s like, ‘Dude, you look natural out there. Great play.’ That’s cool to hear from a veteran teammate and someone I respect."
Dyson set the pace defensively in center field, turning multiple line drives into the left-center gap into fly outs in the first inning:
"I kind of threw him right into it with run three balls to run down," starter Trevor Williams joked. "But he said he's got my back and I'm excited that he's gonna be patrolling center field for us."
With Polanco out of the lineup, the Pirates' outfield will have to rely on saving as many runs in the field as they can. Replacement right fielder Guillermo Heredia even got in on the fun, gunning down Roberto Perez at third base to end the fourth inning.
That outfield picture will likely have Tucker in it, too. It won't happen over night, but Tucker's athleticism could make him a good fit in the outfield, even though the Pirates have been clear they still view him as a shortstop. But for now, he's focused on trying to learn how to patrol his new positions and help the team.
"Every day is new," Tucker said. "I’m just working on reading the ball off the walls, seeing how it bounces, seeing how it goes down the line, learning angles off the ball. It's all happened really fast. It’s like, I've got a test this weekend, and I haven't studied yet. I’m cramming it all at the last second, but it's exciting. Sometimes you get As on those tests, so who knows?"
MORE FROM THE GAME
• Now for the bad: All five relievers the Pirates used gave up runs, with Richard Rodriguez taking the biggest hit, allowing four runs on two home runs.
Also concerning for Rodriguez was his fastball velocity, which averaged 93 mph last year and was at 90-91 mph all night.
"I think ramp up-wise, it’s probably where we’re at," Shelton said, explaining the dip in velocity. "I mean, adrenaline-wise, guys are going to have to get used to coming into a stadium with no fans in certain situations. It’s understandable that he came in, what, the fifth inning and pitched. He’ll probably pitch later in games. I think it’s just getting the work in.”
As for the other pitchers in the game, Chris Stratton allowed two runs, and allowed an inherited third to score, in 1.1 innings of work, Dovydas Neverauskas allowed a pair of runs and Michael Feliz and Robbie Erlin each surrendered a solo shot.
And in case you forgot Saturday's game, Kyle Crick allowed four runs in his exhibition debut and Nick Burdi had some control problems in his inning of work.
So, yeah. Not a good showing for anyone in the bullpen in their final tune ups for the regular season. It may take them a little longer to get to full strength.
"I think it will probably take a week or two into the season until we get to a place where we feel comfortable with where guys are at," Shelton said.
• Williams at least looked better than the bullpen, going 2.2 innings of one run ball, allowing two hits and striking out one.
After working on his curveball with pitching coach Oscar Marin during the shutdown, Williams mixed it in Monday, throwing it six times out of his 55 pitches. It was used exclusively early in the count and resulted in sour called strikes and two balls.
"We’re gonna see how it [works] as a weapon for me," Williams said about how the pitch will be used. "It could change [from] start to start. It just kind of depends on what our scouts tell us."
Last year, Williams threw his curveball less than 1% of the time. He and Marin identified that if he shortened his extension, he could get more consistent spin on it.
He threw it during the intrasquad games, but this was the first showcase of his new and improved curve.
"We were able to execute it in situations where we wanted to execute it and get a feel for it early in the game," Williams said.
• Four Pirates went deep Monday: Josh Bell -- swinging right-handed against Brad Hand, no less -- Colin Moran, Heredia and Phillip Evans. Evans also doubled and now has a .344 batting average and 1.073 OPS between spring training and exhibition games.
Stay tuned for a piece Tuesday on Evans, who looks like a sure bet to make the roster.
• Shelton did not share his starting rotation order Monday, but it can be mostly pieced together at this point. Derek Holland is starting the final exhibition game Wednesday. That would put him in line to pitch the home opener on July 27, the fourth game of the season.
Joe Musgrove is pitching the opener on July 24, and Williams the day after. That would mean game three will either go to Mitch Keller or Steven Brault and Chad Kuhl, likely in a piggyback role. The other person, or persons, would take the fifth spot.
• After being absent throughout camp because he tested positive for COVID-19, Ke'Bryan Hayes returned to the field Monday. Players are only allowed to enter team facilities if they test negative twice, so that would signal he's cleared to go.
"He ran through some stuff just to get his body moving, so he was back on the field for a workout today," Shelton said.
After missing all of camp, it seems certain that he will be sent to the alternate training site in Altoona, Pa. to prepare for the season.