Known for glove, healthy Pérez showing offensive potential, too

CHICAGO -- Pitcher Chase De Jong and catcher Roberto Pérez both broke towards the ball to field the tapper in front of the plate. It was a 50-50 ball on who should get it, but as De Jong got closer to the play, a thought crossed his mind.

"He's got two Gold Gloves. I've got none. Get the heck out of the way."

Pérez got the ball and threw out Yan Gomes at first, flashing a bit of defense that made Pérez a logical replacement behind the plate after Jacob Stallings was traded last winter. An elite glove was a given for him, assuming he stays healthy.

He also showed that he has some pop in his bat too Friday, homering and driving home two more on a double to provide the majority of the offense in the Pirates' 4-2 win over the Cubs at Wrigley Field.

Mired in a 1-for-13 slump his previous six games, Friday night was a much-needed reassurance for what he's been working on and his first multi-hit performance as a Pirate.

"Sometimes you need those [hits] to start falling," Pérez said. "Right now I’m just trying to have good at-bats, trying to see the ball instead of going up there with no plan. I feel like I was pulling off too much lately. Just trying to stay on the ball and react to it."

"He'd been grinding a little bit," Derek Shelton said. Last two days, pretty good swings."

Pérez isn't necessarily a defense-only catcher, posting league average results and 24 home runs in 2019. Injuries had hampered him the last two years, and even at the end of the game, it's easy to see why that can happen, getting hit by three Ian Happ foul balls.

The shoulder injury that bothered him in the past has healed, though, putting himself in his best position to hit in years. But if he doesn't, that health will help him on defense as well, which is still his main priority.

"I always want to be back there for the pitchers," Pérez said. "I’m a defensive guy first. I know I’m a good hitter, man. The main thing with me, I have to stay healthy. But I know what I’m capable of doing when I’m healthy. Back there, man, I take a lot of pride in my defense, whether it’s framing, throwing guys out or blocking the baseball. 

"I’m always in it. I’m never out of it. I don’t take my offense to my defense. That’s one thing I do really well. I’m just gonna be back there for everyone here, whether I hit or not."

• Quintana's return to Wrigley Field, where he pitched from 2017 to 2020, almost yielded his first win as a Pirate, going 4 2/3 innings before being pulled because Seiya Suzuki, the Cubs' best hitter in the early part of the season, came up as the potential tying run. 

Quintana tried, in vain, to convince Shelton to let him stay for that one last hitter when he came out to the mound.

"That’s baseball," Quintana said. "I respect the decision. For me all game, a couple deep counts, a long inning. I think [on deck] was a right-hander so maybe that was his plan to bring the righty against Suzuki. I respect that. The result was there and we got the W."

• The bullpen continues to get things done. 

After relieving Quintana in the fifth, Heath Hembree, De Jong, David Bednar and Chris Stratton combined to go 4 1/3 scoreless innings, with De Jong going two frames in his season debut and Stratton getting his second consecutive save.

"They set the tone," De Jong said about joining that bullpen. "I kept an eye on them [in Indianapolis] and what they're doing. It's what's expected of you. You follow suit. The horses we have in there that are throwing the ball so well, that's expected. That's required of you, and that's required of me here."

Stratton was nailed in the back on a ground ball in the penultimate at-bat of the game, but after getting checked out by trainers, he retired Nick Madrigal to get the save.

Stratton told me postgame he was feeling fine.

• Michael Chavis stayed hot, going yard on an elevated Drew Smyly curveball that was off the plate away and putting it 408 feet to center:

He's hitting .400 with a 1.138 OPS and three homers on the young season. I'll have more on him and why he's been clicking in the near future.

• Score one for the older guys on the team. Pérez and Quintana were brought in partially because the club was looking for some veteran leadership. I asked Pérez about that postgame, and if a win like Friday's means a little more when it is the veterans leading the charge.

"It does. There are a lot of younger guys in here who look up to us and ask themselves, ‘Why are they here? Why have they been in the big leagues for so long?’ Guys are young, and they’re learning. I think Quintana is doing a pretty good job with the pitchers, talking them through when they have a good or bad outing, motivating them. He’s doing a pretty good job with them, so I’m trying to do the same thing with the younger position players. Trying to bring my experience. At the end of the day, it’s about winning. Everyone is on the same page. We’re gonna have a lot of success."

• For just the second time this season, the Pirates scored first, and this is the first non-comeback win they've had all year.

"Overall, good team win," said Shelton.

• Before the game, the Pirates activated Anthony Alford (hand) from the injured list and optioned Hoy Park to Class AAA Indianapolis.

Alford went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts before being pinch-hit for with Ben Gamel in the seventh.

Considering the injury last year and Alford's struggles out of the gate in 2021, maybe April is just not a good month for Alford in general.

"Yeah, I know," he said before the game when posed that question. "Baseball is a crazy game. Just overcome that adversity. It is what it is. I’m just glad to be back, competing."

Before the game, Shelton said Alford will be part of the team's outfield mix, especially against lefties. 

• Friday's game was originally supposed to be played at 2:20 p.m. Eastern, but was pushed back to an 8:05 p.m. Eastern start time due to weather.

THE ESSENTIALS

• Boxscore
• Live file
• Standings
• Statistics
• Schedule
• Scoreboard

THE HIGHLIGHTS

THE INJURIES

• 10-day injured list: LHP Sam Howard (back), RHP Duane Underwood (hamstring), RHP Max Kranick (forearm).

Kranick had his rehab assignment transferred to Class AAA Indianapolis. He allowed two solo home runs and struck out two over 1 2/3 innings, hitting 99 mph on the gun.

• 60-day injured list: OF Greg Allen (hamstring), RHP Blake Cederlind (UCL), RHP Nick Mears (elbow surgery)

THE LINEUPS

Shelton's card:

1. Anthony Alford, LF
2. Bryan Reynolds, CF
3. Ke'Bryan Hayes, 3B
4. Daniel Vogelbach, DH
5. Michael Chavis, 1B
6. Kevin Newman, SS
7. Josh VanMeter, 2B
8. Jake Marisnick, RF
9. Roberto Pérez, C

And for David Ross' Cubs:

1. Nick Madrigal, 2B
2. Seiya Suzuki, RF
3. Wilson Contreras, DH
4. Frank Schwindel, 1B
5. Patrick Wisdom, LF
6. Jonathan Villar, 3B
7. Yan Gomes, C
8. Michael Hermosillo, CF
9. Nico Hoerner, SS

THE SCHEDULE

The Pirates will try to make it three in a row and get back over .500 Saturday afternoon. Zach Thompson (0-1, 9.00) will take on Kyle Hendricks (0-1, 6.08), with first pitch coming at 2:20 p.m. Eastern. I'll have you covered.

THE CONTENT

Visit our team page for everything.