On Clemente Day, Difo, Pirates win in 'the way that he liked to play'

When Roberto Clemente put on his uniform, he played with a grace, grit and dignity that was second to none. 

On this Roberto Clemente Day across all of Major League Baseball, it was the Pirates who honored him maybe better than any team, with Wilmer Difo blazing home from second base on a Colin Moran groundout to beat the Reds, 5-4, Wednesday night at PNC Park. 

"I'm pretty sure that he's looking down on us and is very proud of all of us, because this is the way that he liked to play," Difo said through translator Mike Gonzalez after the game.

Difo's a guy who emulates Clemente with his aggressive nature on the field and humble attitude off. And on this night he was the only Latin-American Pirates' player to enter the game, doing so in front of many members of the Clemente family who were in attendance.

"With the Clemente family here, the things we did before the game and what Gamel said last night about the wall, maybe (Clemente) was with us this whole weekend," Derek Shelton said. "That's the way he played, full-out all the time. To win that game like that was really special on a day that's really important to the city of Pittsburgh, the Pirates, the Clemente family, the island of Puerto Rico. It was really cool."

Baseball, at its roots, is and always will be a game which provides a platform to make a difference and Clemente ultimately paid the consequences for his humanitarianism with his untimely death December 31, 1972. The legacy Clemente lived can be seen in both Pittsburgh, his native Puerto Rico and throughout baseball on a day that's now celebrated each Sept. 15.

Clemente's No. 21 adorned the right field grass in the shadows of the wall named in his honor, an area of the field he roamed with the same grace and dignity he lived his life with. The Pirates as well as Puerto Rican players and coaches and those who've been nominated or won the Roberto Clemente Award throughout the league wore his famed number on their jerseys Wednesday in tribute to a great player and even better human being.

"The first thing that jumps out to me is how great a humanitarian he was, I think, one of the best baseball players of all time, but I think he was the greatest humanitarian that our game ever had." Shelton said prior to the game. "I think one of the special things about being in Pittsburgh is that every team is black and gold, that's something that really stands out to me. And when you see a 21 jersey, regardless of the color in Pittsburgh, you think Clemente ... I think when you see black and gold 21, it instantly makes you think of Clemente and then even more, so just spend any time in the city. I mean, the bridge is right there in the statue out front."

In his second year at the helm, Shelton has embraced the history of the Pirates' franchise and has remodeled the clubhouse to feature the organization's retired numbers of Pirates throughout with Clemente's No. 21 being on his door to serve as a constant reminder of how and why the game is played.

"We're honoring one of the greatest Pirates, and to be able to wear the number, and it actually hit me last night, because when we walked in last night after our game, the 21 was hanging in my locker," Shelton said. "I saw it. It makes me smile, man. You guys have not been in my office, and we've changed some things in the clubhouse, but we have all the retired numbers in the clubhouse now of all the Pirates, except for the 21, and that's on the door of my office. I had asked for that. I see it every day. It's cool."

While the legacy Clemente left in Pittsburgh is indelible, the legacy he left behind in Puerto Rico will live on forever in those that have left the island to pursue their dreams, but also those who have stayed. It's that legacy that makes Clemente forever remembered for both his endeavors on the field as well as on his native island and everywhere in between.

"You see Joey (Cora), and you see Mike Gonzalez and you see Michael Perez, guys that are Puerto Ricans, the pride that they have. And then you see the guys that are around the league that are able to wear it today, the nominees, and even the Puerto Rican players, it resonates with you. Yeah, it's important," Shelton said.

MORE FROM THE GAME

• Mitch Keller tossed five innings Wednesday night, four of which held the Reds off the scoreboard and were predominantly efficient inning. The lone outlier was the first inning where he walked the first two batters of the game after having them down 0-2. 

Keller went onto pitch 32 pitches in the first before getting out of it. 

It was smooth sailing after the first, as Keller retired the side in order in the second and threw up zeroes in the remaining four innings he pitched. The first inning pitch count came back to bite him in the end as if it weren't for the elevated pitch count he could've gone deeper into the game. 

"Yeah, it’s huge. I don’t know exactly how many pitches I threw in the 1st, but I threw at least 30, I think," Keller said. "To come back and have a quick one there and then another quick one really saved my pitch count and allowed me to go at least five there.

His ability to bounce back after limiting the damage in the first inning is something to build on for the young pitcher. Being able to withstand that punch and battle through innings when you don't have your best stuff is key for Keller's growth and confidence something he's been without at this level. 

• It was the Ben Gamel show in left field during the third inning with him playing a role in all three outs. 

"He played well. He did nice job and he continues to do a solid job in the outfield," Shelton said.

Jonathan India scorched a fly ball that Gamel climbed the wall to rob a potential home run. 

Following India would be Max Schrock who would rocket one right at Gamel, but to no avail of course. 

And then it was time for Gamel's assist. Joey Votto hit a ball down the left field line that Gamel slid and couldn't come up with. From there though the play wasn't over as Gamel would throw and hit cutoff man Ke'Bryan Hayes who would fire a perfect strike to Jacob Stallings at home to get Nick Castellanos with ease. 

• Keller started the third inning off with a 99.1 mph single to right field before Hayes would hit into a fielder's choice with Keller being out at second. Hayes would then steal second setting Yoshi Tsutsugo up for this: 

"Even though he doesn't have a ton of major league experience, this guy has a ton of professional experience and he was a good hitter in Japan for a long time," Shelton said. "He knows how to hit, and today he took advantage of (Justin) Wilson coming in aggressive and hitting the ball the other way and getting the run in."

The Pirates weren't done scoring in the third as Bryan Reynolds would triple down the right field line and would score on Colin Moran's sacrifice fly. 

• David Bednar hit the 10-day Injured List Tiesday, retroactive to September 11, with a right oblique strain. Since then, he's been able to resume playing catch according to Director of Sports Medicine Todd Tomczyk.

"Encouraging news over the past 48 to 72 hours, he's relatively pain-free and asymptomatic. He did resume playing catch," Tomczyk said prior to Wednesday's game. "Yesterday, he played light catch and responded well to that. He's off from throwing today. We’ll reassess him tomorrow to determine a continuation of a throwing program."

• Steven Brault was moved from the 10-day IL to the 60-day IL simply because the Pirates are running out of time this season. It's the same injury that hampered him early this season and with the season's end rapidly approaching it made no sense to delay the inevitable. 

"Unfortunately, he strained the same muscle (as before), but there's encouraging news in that there's no new tear from from the previous injury in spring training," Tomczyk said. "We're running out of days on the calendar to build Steven back up to get him back into competition for the 2022 season."

• JT Brubaker starting to build back up to potentially throwing once again. He's pain-free and has started a plyoball program in hopes of returning this season.

"He has began a light plyo rehab program, which is throwing some plyoballs in the weight room against the wall, responding well to that," Tomczyk said. "We will reassess later this week or over the weekend to see about beginning a formal throwing program for JT."

• Michael Chavis is expected to begin a rehab assignment in the coming days. He'll begin as the DH for the Indians and build into being a position player as he continues to heal and build up strength for full-game activity.

THE ESSENTIALS

• Boxscore
• Live file
• Scoreboard
• Standings
• Statistics

THE HIGHLIGHTS

THE LINEUPS

Shelton's card:

1. Ke'Bryan Hayes, 3B
2. Yoshi Tsutsugo, RF
3. Bryan Reynolds, CF
4. Colin Moran, 1B
5. Jacob Stallings, C
6. Ben Gamel, RF
7. Kevin Newman, SS
8. Hoy Park, 2B
9. Mitch Keller, RHP

And for Bell's Reds:

1. Jonathan India, 2B
2. Max Schrock, LF
3. Nick Castellanos, RF
4. Joey Votto, 1B
5. Mike Moustakas, 3B
6. Kyle Farmer, SS
7. Tucker Barnhart, C
8. Shogo Akiyama, CF
9. Vladimir Gutierrez, RHP

THE SYSTEM

• Indianapolis
• Altoona
• Greensboro
• Bradenton

THE SCHEDULE

The Pirates have one more against the Reds before embarking for Miami and a 10-game trip. Newcomer Connor Overton (0-0,  0.00) will take on Tyler Mahle (11-5, 3.73) at 12:35 p.m. DK has got you covered at the ballpark.

THE CONTENT

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