CINCINNATI -- Nick Mears was in this same situation just a week ago against the same team. Facing the Reds with the bases loaded on Sept. 14, the Reds would end load the bases and pile on four runs against the rookie reliever, nearly costing the Pirates the game.
On Tuesday night at Great American Ball Park, two walks and a hit once again loaded the bases, this time with nobody out in a one-run game. One mistake would cost the Pirates the lead, and Nicholas Castellanos, Joey Votto and Kyle Farmer -- who was 3-for-3 on the night -- were due up.
"My first thought was 'I need to get ahead here to give myself a chance,' because I have so much respect for that guy at the plate,” Mears said postgame, referring to Castellanos. “I need to get ahead and stay ahead so that I could strike him out or pop him up to keep us in the game."
And he came through. First by getting Castellanos to pop up on the infield, and then Votto to shallow center, not deep enough to score a run.
And then after pumping 96 and 97 mph fastballs to Farmer all at-bat, he froze him with a curve:
As an amped up Mears walked off the mound, the Pirates would expand their lead the following in and go on to beat the Reds, 6-2, marking their first win in Great American Ball Park this season.
Had it been earlier in the season, that pivotal moment would have likely been with David Bednar, Kyle Crick, Ríchard Rodriguez, Clay Holmes or one of the other late-inning relievers who have either moved on to a different team or are on the injured list. So in recent weeks, Mears has been getting higher leverage looks, seeing if his upper-90s fastball and looping curve could potentially play out of the backend of the bullpen someday.
Or, perhaps more importantly, being given the opportunity to pitch out of the jam he put himself in.
“We’ve talked about guys that have pitched themselves into different situations by the opportunity, and Nick Mears I think is a perfect example of that,” Derek Shelton said. “He’s pitched himself into high-leverage innings near the end of the year, and it was really good to see. It was really cool to see, actually.”
And when he comes through in a spot like that?
“I think that moment sticks out,” Shelton said. “I can think of one where he faced [Cardinals slugger Paul] Goldschmidt earlier in the year at home and got a ground ball after going 3-0. Those are big moments. These are big moments against a team that's fighting for a playoff spot with two of the better hitters in the National League.”
For Mears, his journey has not been easy, going from an undrafted free agent to one of the top reliever prospects in the Pirates’ system. He’s taken advantage of the opportunities he’s earned so far, and this is the one they’ve been building towards.
"This is what you work for,” Mears said. “From a kid in little league, this is what you work for. You work for those leverage situations as a relief pitcher. So for them to have the confidence in me to get out of that situation, it means a lot to me."
GETTY
Ben Gamel is congratulated after scoring in the eighth inning Tuesday.
MORE FROM THE GAME
• Mitch Keller also had to pull his own Houdini act in the fourth, loading the bases with nobody out. He also escaped with minimal damage, with only a sacrifice fly bringing a run home.
He's been in situations like throughout the year, and those innings tend to ultimately decide how his final line looked.
“Nothing like crazy, just really taking a deep breath and trying to make pitches," Keller said on what the difference is between succeeding or failing in those situations. "Just make the best pitch you can, and just really understanding the situation of what we’re trying to do. Earlier, I might have been trying to hunt a strikeout more than a weak contact double-play ball. That’s when I’d walk a guy and get in some trouble there. Just being able to make a pitch there and get out of it is what’s turning it around.”
Keller allowed two runs on seven hits and four walks over 5 2/3 innings. He struck out two.
• Keller was pulled for Anthony Banda with runners on the corners in the sixth, and catcher Michael Pérez saved a run by making a key block on a breaking ball that short hopped the plate.
"That’s a hell of a block," Shelton said. "That saved us a run and possibly could have saved us the game."
Pérez, who had just two hits in his last 51 at-bats, also chipped in at the dish, picking up two hits and an RBI.
• Ke'Bryan Hayes led the way on offense, picking up three hits, an RBI and a run scored because he was able to advance a base on a throw to the plate in the fifth inning.
Ben Gamel tacked on a solo home run, and Yoshi Tsutsugo came off the bench for a pinch-hit RBI double in a three-run eighth.
• For someone as speedy as Anthony Alford, it's surprising to see him be caught stealing on back-to-back nights. There was a constant drizzle all evening Tuesday, so it was hardly ideal running conditions, but the caught stealing result is what shows up in the box score.
Shelton said he believes the problem lies in Alford's jumps and timing when he should go.
"I think part of Anthony's development is just learning how to steal bases, how to get good jumps," Shelton said. "It's something he and [first base coach] Tarrik [Brock] are talking about, and like we talked about before, we had the opportunity in certain situations to try it, and we're going to do it so he can get better at it."
• The Pirates have finally won a game at Great American Ball Park this year, snapping a streak of 13 straight defeats.
So how's it feel to finally win here again?
"It feels a lot better than losing 13 straight, I'll tell you that," Shelton said with a smile. "I was very aware of it. It was a good team victory tonight. We did a lot of things well."
• Miguel Yajure and Tanner Anderson are both on the taxi squad and with the team in Cincinnati. The Pirates do not have a starter listed for Friday's game against the Phillies.
Anderson, who actually made his major league debut with the Pirates in 2018, posted a 4.01 ERA over 51 2/3 innings between the Pirates' and Athletics' Class AAA affiliates. The 28-year-old right-hander has recently been stretched back out as a starter. It would require a corresponding roster move to add him to the roster,
THE ESSENTIALS
• Boxscore
• Live file
• Scoreboard
• Standings
• Statistics
THE HIGHLIGHTS
THE LINEUPS
Shelton's card:
1. Ke'Bryan Hayes, 3B
2. Cole Tucker, SS
3. Bryan Reynolds, CF
4. Colin Moran, 1B
5. Ben Gamel, RF
6. Anthony Alford, LF
7. Michael Pérez, C
8. Hoy Park, 2B
9. Mitch Keller, RHP
And for David Bell's Reds:
1. Jonathan India, 2B
2. Max Schrock, LF
3. Nick Castellanos, RF
4. Joey Votto, 1B
5. Kyle Farmer, SS
6. Eugenio Suarez, 3B
7. Tucker Barnhart, C
8. TJ Friedle, CF
9. Tyler Mahle, RHP
THE SYSTEM
• Indianapolis
• Altoona
• Greensboro
• Bradenton
THE SCHEDULE
Weather permitting, the Pirates and Reds will play the series finale Wednesday afternoon. Connor Overton (0-0, 0.00) will make his second start in what should be a bullpen day for the Pirates against Luis Castillo (8-15, 4.08). First pitch is scheduled for 12:35 p.m. I've got you covered here before the team heads out east to Philadelphia for their final road series of the season.
THE CONTENT
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