After up-and-down 2022, Reynolds aims for larger leadership role

It was the type of hit Bryan Reynolds hasn't had a lot of this season: A fly ball into the left-center gap that actually dropped in play.

Reynolds would get a double and an RBI for the knock, putting the Pirates on the board in the sixth inning en route to a 3-2 win over the Cardinals at PNC Park Monday.

It was also, surprisingly, just Reynolds' 18th double of the season, barely more than half as many as he had last year (35).

"Just feels like every ball I hit hard was either an out or a single right at an outfielder," Reynolds said. "Just how it was this year. Maybe next year I'll sprinkle some doubles into those numbers."

That's not to imply doubles alone determine Reynolds' success. It was still quite a good year for him, as he set a new career high with 27 home runs and posted an .801 OPS. That's not quite the same level as last year when he received down-ballot MVP votes, but it's good enough to repeat as the Pirates' Clemente award winner, or team MVP, as voted by the Pittsburgh chapter of the Baseball Writers Association of America on Monday.

Talking about this past year, though, he didn't seem quite satisfied.

"I think it was a kind of tough season," Reynolds admitted. "I started bad then kind of got going again and went on the IL for a little bit and then had another baby, which is great, but a little wrench in there. It was just a lot of ups and downs, but overall, [I was] relatively pleased with how it came together at the end."

Reynolds has been the heart of the Pirates' offense the last two seasons, but despite strong numbers, the group has ranked near the bottom of the league in most offensive categories. The team also lost 101 games in 2021 and 100 this year.

Those losses obviously weigh on someone who is looking to win, but he saw some positives this year, including the team's youth movement.

"I think if you ask anyone here, they're not happy with the ultimate season, but I also think there was a lot of good things that came out of it," Reynolds said. "A lot of good, young players came up and produced well for us. We've got a bunch of good, young players in the minors.

"Obviously in the moment, didn't go the way we would have liked, but I think in the future it will."

Reynolds is a big part of a potentially bright future, as he still has three years of team control remaining. In an odd twist with this team, that means he is also one of the few people in the locker room that can call themselves a veteran.

And as the team looks toward 2023 and beyond, that comes with the unspoken understanding that he is going to have to be a leader for a young ball club.

"It's weird that I'm one of the more experienced since I've been here since '19," Reynolds said. "I mean yeah, I think my role has obviously changed. I don't think it's changed in terms of being vocal because I've never really been like that. But just trying to play the game hard and show the young guys that's how we do it here. Just for example, [Oneil] Cruz yesterday [in St. Louis], [he hit a] routine ground ball to second, busted it down the line to second and almost beat it out. I told him, 'Hey, that's sick.' If I can just play hard and show them, they'll do it."

"Bryan leads by example every day," Derek Shelton said. "The Heart and Hustle Award that he won earlier this year is a perfect example. When your best player plays hard like he does every day, it's really easy to continue to push a group of younger players effort-wise when when they see that."

One player who has tried to play following that example is Jack Suwinski, a fellow outfielder with a more reserved personality. He isn't looking for speeches, bur rather someone he can lean on and try to emulate.

"He's been helping me out a lot this year," Suwinski said. "Just watching him and learning from him just by watching him basically go throughout the day and watching him in the games and seeing how he handles center field and playing next to him, I've gotten a lot of confidence from that."

Suwinski could be a part of the next competitive Pirate team. A lot of the rookies in the clubhouse now or coming up next year could, too. It's why, even with 100 losses, there's a belief in the clubhouse that things are going to get better in 2023 and beyond.

"I think any type of experience is good and is going to help us in the future," Reynolds said. "Getting these good, young players up here now is obviously going to do nothing but benefit."

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Oneil Cruz is congratulated after his first walk-off winner.

• Check another box off for Oneil Cruz, who picked up his first walk-off, even if he never had to take the bat off his shoulder for it.

After three walks by Giovannny Gallegos to start the bottom of the ninth, lefty JoJo Romero missed low four straight times to Cruz, who didn't initially hear the ball four call by home plate umpire Jerry Meals and waited at home plate for a moment before being told to take his base.

Being able to be patient and work a walk against a southpaw is a positive for Cruz, whose chase rates have steadily gone down over the past few months.

"I feel I’ve gotten a little bit better facing left-handed pitchers," Cruz said via interpreter Mike Gonzalez. "I’ve got to give a lot of credit to our hitting coaches. I’ve been working with our hitting coaches, them teaching me how to have a better approach, a better eye on the ball and better pitch selection. That’s what’s been helping me right now.”

• Cruz was in a bit of a rut at the plate before his walk-off, so he decided to... hang it from the roof of the dugout?

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"It wasn’t working out for me so I had to hang it,” Cruz jokingly explained.

Cruz used a different bat for his walk off, not that he had to swing it.

• Mitch Keller's final start of the season hit a snag in the sixth, allowing a two-run homer to Albert Pujols before being pulled with nobody out. Still, five innings of two run ball lowered his season ERA to 3.91 over 159 innings, down over two runs from last season (6.17). Those better results are putting him in a better spot for 2023.

"[I have] a lot more confidence going into the offseason knowing that I belong, knowing I can do it," Keller said. "Just a combination of things. Confidence is the main thing. Taking confidence into next season is going to be huge where I didn’t really have much confidence going out of last year. Searching for a lot of things last year. Now, I think this offseason, I can really get to work on some other things rather than just trying to get velo back and trying to throw hard."

Keller was named the Steve Blass award winner by the local BBWAA chapter as the team's top pitcher.

"Just proud of myself for how I hung in there and kept going," Keller said, reflecting on this season. "I know I’m a good pitcher. I know I’ve done it in the past. Just felt really good after that point."

• And as for giving up home run No. 703 to Pujols?

"If I was going give one up, I’d rather give it up to him than anybody else," Keller said.

• Suwinski continues to just rake at PNC Park, homering in the eighth inning to tie the game. It's his 19 home run of the season, the 16th of which that has come at PNC Park.

"I mean, it's a good place to play," he said when I asked about his success at home. "I don't think there's a right answer to that, but obviously everyone here has helped me feel really comfortable and just go into the games ready to play."

• Before the game, the Pirates optioned Luis Ortiz -- who was not going to pitch again this season -- and recalled right-handed reliever Nick Mears. Mears tossed 2/3rds of an inning in the eighth and became the 68th different player the Pirates have used this season. That's the second-most in MLB history, only behind the 2021 Cubs (69).

• Factoid of the game: Ke'Bryan Hayes stole second base in the ninth inning, his 20th stolen base of the season. He is the first Pirate third baseman to swipe that many bags in a season since Bill Madlock in 1979 (21).

• The Pirates matched their win total from last year to improve to 61-99. They can avoid their second straight 100-loss season by winning these last two games.

That's also two comeback wins against the Cardinals, so they could have easily hit the century mark this week a couple times.

"I think it's the point that our guys are still playing hard," Shelton said. "That's the most important thing... So just overall proud of our group."

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THE HIGHLIGHTS

THE INJURIES

• 10-day injured list: 1B Zack Collins (non-COVID illness)

• 15-day injured list: RHP JT Brubaker (right arm inflammation), RHP Wil Crowe (right forearm inflammation) LHP Eric Stout (low back discomfort)

• 60-day injured list: Yerry De Los Santos (lat), OF Canaan Smith-Njigba (wrist), RHP Colin Holderman (right shoulder), RHP Blake Cederlind (elbow), RHP Max Kranick (elbow), C Roberto Pérez (hamstring)

THE LINEUPS

Shelton's card:

1. Kevin Newman, SS
2. Bryan Reynolds, CF
3. Ke'Bryan Hayes, 3B
4. Miguel Andújar, LF
5. Rodolfo Castro, 2B
6. Oneil Cruz, SS
7. Diego Castillo, 1B
8. Jack Suwinski, RF
8. Jason Delay, C

And for Oliver Marmol's Cardinals:

1. Brendan Donovan, 2B
2. Lars Nootbaar, RF
3. Paul Goldschmidt, 1B
4. Albert Pujols, DH
5. Corey Dickerson, LF
6. Juan Yepez, 3B
7. Dylan Carlson, CF
8. Andrew Kinzer, C
9. Paul DeJong, SS

THE SCHEDULE

Two games left this season. JT Brubaker (3-12, 4.58) will be activated off the injured list and return in the penultimate game of the season. The Cardinals will counter with Dakota Hudson (8-7, 4.07). First pitch will be at 6:35 p.m., and I've got you covered.

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