'A dream come true:' Newman ties MLB record with four-double game

Kevin Newman wasn’t supposed to start the first game of the doubleheader against the Brewers at PNC Park Saturday. But when left fielder Anthony Alford was scratched with back spasms before the game, Newman was a late addition.

It ended up being the spark the Pirates needed to buck a prolonged slump at the plate. Newman tied a major league record with four doubles in the 14-4 Game 1 win. 

That late addition didn’t change how Newman went about his day, though.

“I did the same stuff I normally do if I was in there,” Newman said, saying he had been asked that a couple times already before entering the Zoom room. “Nothing changed. It's funny, had I just completely not hit or anything or something like that, I would have to keep doing that and just not hit.”

Game 2 of the twin bill did not go as well -- losing 6-0 -- but even then Newman added another hit and hustled down the line to force an error in the seventh.

After how his season had gone to this point, 5-for-7 is a darn good day at the office.

“Much needed for us and him,” Derek Shelton said. “Really happy for him.”

Newman became just the third Pirate ever to double four times in a game, joining Adam Frazier in 2019 and Paul Waner in 1932. Since it was a doubleheader, Newman only had four trips to the plate, too. He’s now one of five players to ever double four times in a game in just four plate appearances.

"It's a dream come true,” Newman said. “You grow up as a kid and your dream is to play in the major leagues. When I was coming off the field and I was told that I was part of a major league record, it's something that hits deep because that's what you dream about as a kid. Super honored and glad I was in there today and I was able to do that."

Two of those doubles were ground balls that found the right spots to the left side of the infield, but the other two were crushed into center and right. For someone who has been struggling to hit the ball hard and have it fall in for a hit, it was the mix he needed. Game 1 was the first time in Newman’s career he had three hits with an exit velocity over 100 mph.

Newman wouldn’t get into specifics, but did say he had been making adjustments at the plate.

"There's always adjustments being made,” Newman said. “Most of them you can't even really see watching here, they're so small, so quick in-game, and that's just how hitting is. There's always adjustments to be made. So getting to work on quite a bit of stuff, and it's definitely nice to have the results like I did today."

While the last two years have been very rough at the plate for Newman, he is only two years removed from a season where he had an .800 OPS, 3 WAR season. It’s why, for better or worse, the Pirates have continued to play him, even if newcomer Hoy Park has started to take some of those reps at shortstop.

Games like Saturday would go a long way to keeping Park away from shortstop. Not just the results, but the approach at the plate.

“He’s gotta continue to stay aggressive,” Shelton said. “Not only stay aggressive but stay on [a good swing] plane because you can get aggressive and kinda rotate off. He has a tendency to do that at times. But today he stayed aggressive and stayed on plane. You end up seeing the results.”

While he recently had a four game stretch without a hit, Newman did have two hits in Thursday’s contest against the Cardinals and five from August 3-5. It may not be a ton, but it is potentially a spark for a better finish to the season.

“I started to feel a little better as of late,” Newman said. “Just trying to take that momentum into a game like this. Trust my approach and try to square up the ball, and I did that today."

MORE FROM THE GAME

• It wasn't just Newman who put up a hit parade in Game 1. John Nogowski, hitless in his previous 15 at-bats, delivered what would end up being the deciding RBI off the bench with a pinch-hit knock. 

Every Pirate who batted, besides the pitchers, had a hit. Park had three hits, and Bryan Reynolds went deep and had four RBIs.

Those 14 runs were a season high.

I asked Newman how much the group needed a game like that.

"A lot," he responded. "There's no hiding it. Obviously we were scuffling. So to break out and have a game like this, kind of get the energy back, that fun baseball feeling, it's huge for us. Looking to build on that and keep riding that groove, for sure. It's big for us."

• And just like that, Aaron Ashby shut them down in Game 2, and the Pirates could only pick up four hits, all singles.

“Some of that is baseball," Shelton said, trying to explain what happened. "Some is that Ashby’s got a good arm, man. Left-handed. Throws 95, up to 97. This kid’s got good stuff. He kind of kept us in check.”

• It was a good day at the plate for Newman. In the field, he and Ke'Bryan Hayes narrowly avoided disaster.

With Lorenzo Cain batting in the top of the sixth, Chris Stratton got the Brewers' center fielder to pop a ball up for what looked like the second out. However, the ball ended up drifting, and Newman and Hayes lightly collided and fell in foul territory.

The pop up fell in fair territory.

"Our view from the dugout, I thought that was way foul and it continued to come back," Shelton said. "Kevin called it, and right as he called it, he and Key made contact. When they made contact, they went down. It’s a ball that I don’t think either one of them assumed out of play. They had a good read on it. Kevin called it and they made contact and it ended up falling.”

The Brewers would end up scoring three times that inning on a Michael Pérez error and a Rowdy Tellez homer that went into the Allegheny River.

• Reynolds had himself a day. In game one, he homered and drove in four.

In game two, he threw out Adames at the plate.

 Reynolds is now just 0.1 WAR away from leading the National League, according to FanGraphs. Fernando Tatis Jr. has 4.5 WAR. Reynolds has 4.4.

He's got a shot at an MVP award.

THE ESSENTIALS

• Boxscore Game 1
• Boxscore Game 2
• Scoreboard
• Standings
• Statistics

THE LINEUPS

Shelton's card for Game 1:

1. Hoy Park, LF
2. Ke'Bryan Hayes, 3B
3. Bryan Reynolds, CF
4. Colin Moran, 1B
5. Jacob Stallings, C
6. Rodolfo Castro, 2B
7. Gregory Polanco, RF
8. Kevin Newman, SS
9. Bryse Wilson, RHP

And for Craig Counsell's Brewers:

1. Kolten Wong, 2B
2. Christian Yelich, LF
3. Willy Adames, SS
4. Eduardo Escobar, 3B
5. Rowdy Tellez, 1B
6. Tyrone Taylor, RF
7. Jackie Bradley Jr., CF
8. Manny Pina, C
9. Brett Anderson, LHP

And for Game 2:

1. Hoy Park, LF
2. Ke'Bryan Hayes, 3B
3. Bryan Reynolds, CF
4. John Nogowski, 1B
5. Rodolfo Castro, 2B
6. Wilmer Difo, RF
7. Kevin Newman, SS
8. Michael Perez, C
9. Mitch Keller, RHP

And for the Brewers:

1. Kolten Wong, 2B
2. Willy Adames, SS
3. Christian Yelich, LF
4. Avasail Garcia, RF
5. Omar Navarez, C
6. Luis Urias, 3B
7. Jace Peterson, 1B
8. Lorenzo Cain, CF
9. Aaron Ashby, LHP

THE SCHEDULE

The Pirates will wrap up the homestand Sunday before embarking on a cross-country trip. Lefty DIllon Peters will be recalled from Class AAA Indianapolis and make his Pirates debut. He'll be opposed by Eric Lauer (4-4, 3.50). First pitch will be at 1:05 p.m. I've got you covered from the ballpark.

IN THE SYSTEM

• Indianapolis
• Altoona
• Greensboro
• Bradenton

THE CONTENT

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