Jacob Stallings got the Pirates back into the win column after consecutive lengthy losing streaks, launching a walkoff home run to beat the Cubs, 3-2, Tuesday night at PNC Park.
After nearly being hit by a slider earlier in the at-bat, making him half swing out of self-defense while trying to get out of the way, Stallings was looking for a fastball from Andrew Chafin. He got one:
He has proved to be a respectable bat this year, including a strong .331 on-base percentage. There were plenty of doubters coming into this season if he would hit well enough to justify a spot in the order, even considering his strong glove.
Hey, even growing up, Stallings wasn’t even sure he would be a good enough hitter to fulfill his real career ambition.
“I grew up dreaming about winning the Gold Glove,” Stallings said. “I didn’t dream about being a major-league baseball player because I didn’t think I would hit well enough to ever get to the major leagues. That was like, ‘major-league baseball player, eh, maybe I’d be good enough to win the Gold Glove if they DH’d for me or something.’ “
We’re still a ways away from catchers getting a designated hitter, but Stallings being in the gold glove mix is a real possibility. The award is mostly based off of how coaches vote, but it is also partially weighted on analytics. He’s among the best in the league in that regard, amassing four defensive runs saved, third in the National League among backstops, trailing Tucker Barhart (six) and Jacob Nottingham (five).
He has his supporters. In recent weeks, anytime Derek Shelton has talked about Stallings, he’s brought up the award.
“This is a guy that, in my mind, should win the Gold Glove in the National League,” Shelton said Tuesday. “He’s done an outstanding job. You’d be hard-pressed to find someone that’s caught and thrown the ball better than he has this year. Definitely should win there.”
For someone who didn’t know what his role would be with the organization a year ago, he has made the most of the opportunity. And to potentially win a Gold Glove…
“It would be a dream come true, simple as that,” Stallings said.
His framing and pitch blocking are both among the league's best, so it's only natural he would show off the arm during a strike 'em out, throw 'em out on a very low pitch:
Stallings is one of the few Pirates who has a shot at being considered for some league-wide accolades. But what about a more localized title?
How about team MVP?
The only player who really deserves to be in the discussion is Ke’Bryan Hayes, and nothing against him, he hasn’t been around all season.
And yes, team MVP for a 16-39 club is a bit patronizing, but if there is a positive to take from this season, it has been that the pitching, as a whole, has taken a noticeable step forward this season. The three people who are most responsible for that turnaround are pitching coach Oscar Marin, bullpen coach Justin Meccage and Stallings.
And the pitchers love throwing to Stallings. Take Tuesday’s starter, Steven Brault:
“I’ll go to my deathbed saying Stalls is a horrible person,” he said.
The high praise of a pitcher who, for the second start in a row, just decided to shut his brain off and throw whatever Stallings wanted. Don’t fight it, just throw whatever he thinks is best. The first time he did it, last Thursday, Brault threw a complete game two-hitter. On Tuesday, he allowed just two hits again over seven shutout frames.
“[I] trusted Stallings again, let him do his thing,” Brault said. “Seemed to work. I don't know if I'm going to change that in the future.”
Stallings won the game in the final at-bat, but he might have saved it during the second batter of the first inning. Brault opened the game with a walk, missing to his arm side After starting the second batter with a ball, Stallings went out to the mound for a visit, and was sterner than he usually is.
Brault has reworked his throwing mechanics this season to help take better care of his shoulder. It’s also led to some better results, when he isn’t thinking about it. When he has been off this season, it is usually because he couldn’t get out of his head on how he’s supposed to be throwing now.
“I was just like, 'listen. I see you thinking about your delivery. You can't get back into that,' “ Stallings said. “And credit to him to switching it right there… He kind of settled in from there. Obviously had a couple walks, a couple hit batters, but he was in complete control again."
That’s something that won’t show up in a gold glove conversation. It should for team MVP.
In Derek Jeter’s Hall of Fame acceptance speech, Jeter said that when you’re playing, you’re just trying to stay on the team. That spoke to Stallings. A year ago, Stallings was a third-string catcher behind Elias Diaz and Francisco Cervelli. He was designated for assignment at one point.
“Right now I’m focused on getting better,” Stallings said. “I think that’s more the type of thing that I’ll probably reflect back on when I’m done playing and maybe be able to appreciate a little more.”
JUSTIN BERL / GETTY
Jacob Stallings launches a game-winning homer.
• That's a wrap on Brault's season. Unlike previous years, where he has struggled in his final outings of the year, Brault is going into this offseason with two gems under his belt.
"I've always gone into the offseason thinking there's something I have to work on or something I've really got to do," Brault said. "I'm excited to go in this year with kind of the feeling of, like, time to perfect my craft, which I never will do, nobody ever will do. But just to keep looking forward with the work that I put in in quarantine and all that stuff, and Oscar's helped me so much mentally since I got back, and it's been a lot of fun, so I'm excited. It's going to be a different offseason than years before."
Brault did hit two batters and walked three, but was able to reset each time he was visited by Marin or Stallings.
"It’s not only a sign of his maturity but a sign that he and Oscar are on the same page," Shelton said. He was able to rein him back in... Stallings did a really nice job with him also."
• Brault took a no-hitter into the fifth. Dating back to his last start, he threw 10 consecutive innings without allowing a hit. That is the longest streak by a Pirates pitcher this year.
• Remember last week when the Pirates had only two quality starts all season?
Yeah, they've had five in the seven games since then.
The rotation has been through more of its share of injuries, but the abundance of short starts was bothering them. Now, most of them are in positioned to at leas enter the offseason on a good note.
"The beauty of it is starting pitching especially seems to be pretty contagious, so it seems like when people start to roll a little bit, kind of everybody starts to roll, because you don't want to be the guy that doesn't do well," Brault said. "So it kind of starts to roll a little bit, and watching these guys perform, we're all very different in the way we pitch, but we also keep each other accountable. we're a very close-knit group. Who knows what's going to happen in the offseason going into next year, but we're looking out for each other, so I love those guys, and I can't wait to see these guys take their last rotation through, so it'll be fun."
• Gregory Polanco scored the other two Pirates' runs. Erik Gonzalez drove him home in the second and Adam Frazier in the fifth, both on doubles.
The Cubs' got their offense in the eighth when Anthony Rizzo homered off Sam Howard. One run was charged to Howard, and the runner he inherited was from Chris Stratton.
• The Pirates' tragic number for the worst record in baseball, and what is very likely to be the top pick of the draft, remains at three after their win and the Rangers' 7-0 loss to the Diamondbacks.
• Here's our ongoing file on Oneil Cruz, who is being charged for driving under the influence of alcohol in a crash that killed three in the Dominican Republic.
• Factoid of the night: The last Pirates pitcher to go at least seven innings and allow two or fewer hits in back-to-back starts was Doug Drabek on July 29 and Aug. 3, 1990.