As Derek Shelton went to the mound to make a pitching change Friday, the first person to talk was Endy Rodríguez. Liover Peguero had just made an error, and the Pirates' catcher wasn't going to let his fellow rookie teammate feel down on himself.
"Hey, we're ok," Rodríguez said on the mound. "You'll make the next play."
"I thought, all right, young kid, there's a group of young kids on that mound, but for Endy to do that right away, that stood out to me," Shelton said. "Like, 'ok, he's engaged, he's in the game, he cares about his teammates.' "
Fast forward to Saturday, and Peguero did make the next play. The next plays, actually. First, this diving grab in the third inning to rob Trea Turner of a diamond cutter base hit:
“I’m always trying to anticipate plays and be ready for everything," Peguero said. "That’s what got me in that rhythm right there and I was able to catch it.”
And then to close it in the ninth, with a beautiful turn at second to complete the around-the-horn double-play, securing a 7-6 Pirate win over the Phillies:
"You don’t really get crowds like this in the minors," shortstop Alika Williams said, referencing the 38,434 at PNC Park that evening, the second sellout of the season. "So to be able to do that in front of a packed stadium, in that situation, is unbelievable."
It was the finest day of Peguero's young major-league career, also homering in a three-hit performance. But when the postgame interviews began, his kindest words were for his catcher and what that meeting on the mound meant for him.
“It helps a lot," Peguero said. "Having that support around you helps. I feel like he’s that type of guy that’s always around you, trying to get you comfortable and try to make you feel confidence about anything."
Saturday was a big day for the rookies. Peguero had three hits. Williams got his first big-league hit and RBI. Henry Davis gunned down Bryce Harper trying to stretch a single into a double. Quinn Priester was a bit too wild, but still picked up a win.
And yeah, Rodríguez got in on the fun too, first in the fourth inning with an RBI double to give the Pirates a little life after allowing four runs in the top half in the inning. Then in the bottom of the fifth, he delivered what would end up being the big hit of the night: A sinking liner with the bases loaded that got under center fielder Brandon Marsh's glove for a bases-clearing triple.
That had a little bit of everything Rodríguez has to offer as a hitter. A day after making the final out chasing the first offering after a four-pitch walk the batter prior, he went after the first pitch Aaron Nola changeup. There's the fearlessness. He was able to turn on the burners and get to third base, making his the first Pirate catcher with a bases-clearing triple since Francisco Cervelli in 2017. There's the speed. He twice came through with runners in scoring position and his team sorely needing a hit. There's the situational hitting, not to mention the offensive production that this team simply has not gotten this season out of the catcher position.
And to do it all with the bases loaded?
"That’s the best part of the game because that’s where you get paid," Rodríguez joked, via interpreter Stephen Morales.
And there's another part of the allure of Rodríguez. The man is all smiles has the gift of gab. If you aren't greeted by Rodríguez with a wide grin showing off his pearly whites and braces, you probably heard him ask you, "what's up, baby," first.
The energy is infectious and a reason why this batch of rookies gravitates to him. Not just now, but during their journey up through the minors.
"He’s a tough guy not to," Priester said. "He’s always having fun."
"You like to be around people who are smiling all the time, and it's tough to wipe it off his face," Davis was telling me. "... The baseball season has ups and downs, and when he's constant like that, he can be your rock."
This is a young roster. Of the team's 26 active players, 10 are rookies. A good chunk of them came up through the minors together, giving them the comradery that breeds a confidence that they can bounce back after a bad day, the way Peguero did.
"They're very comfortable around each other, which is important," Shelton said. "As we've talked about all along, we're going to need young kids to come up to the big leagues and contribute and be mainstays, and the fact that these guys are comfortable around each other... they have that feeling of being together, along with the veteran guys we have which do a really good job embracing them."
And for the 23-year-old catcher, he wants to be one of the focal, and vocal, players to encourage that confidence.
"I’ve been working on that since the minors to build those relationships," Rodríguez said. "As a catcher, you have to be a leader. That’s what they ask for. Being a leader, getting the group together, and I’ve been working on that really hard."
This Pirates rebuild largely hinges on the success of these young players and rookies. Facing the defending National League champs Saturday, the kids showed that they can hang with them.
"It feels great just to be part of this young group and part of the future of the organization," Rodríguez said. "I want to give my best out there to put the team in a good spot."
JUSTIN BERL / GETTY
Andrew McCutchen and Endy Rodriguez high five after the Pirates' win at PNC Park Saturday.
THE ESSENTIALS
• Boxscore
• Live file
• Team feed
• Standings
• Statistics
• Schedule
• Scoreboard
THE HIGHLIGHTS
THE INJURIES
• 10-day injured list: 2B Ji Hwan Bae (ankle), 3B Ke'Bryan Hayes (lower back)
• 60-day injured list: SS Oneil Cruz (ankle), RHP JT Brubaker (elbow), LHP Jarlin Garcia (elbow), RHP Max Kranick (elbow), INF Tucupita Marcano (knee), RHP Vince Velasquez (elbow)
THE LINEUPS
Shelton's card:
1. Jack Suwinski, CF
2. Bryan Reynolds, LF
3. Andrew McCutchen, DH
4. Ji-Man Choi, 1B
5. Henry Davis, RF
6. Endy Rodríguez, C
7. Jared Triolo, 3B
8. Alika Williams, SS
9. Liover Peguero, 2B
And for Rob Thomson's Phillies:
1. Kyle Schwarber, DH
2. Nick Castellanos, RF
3. Bryce Harper, 1B
4. Alec Bohm, 3B
5. Bryson Stott, 2B
6. J.T. Realmuto, C
7. Trea Turner, SS
8. Brandon Marsh, CF
9. Jake Cave, LF
THE SCHEDULE
The Pirates will try to take the series Sunday. Rich Hill (7-9, 4.84) will make his last start before the trade deadline against lefty Christopher Sánchez (0-3, 2.98). First pitch is set for 1:35 p.m. I'll have you covered.
THE MULTIMEDIA
THE ODDS
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THE CONTENT
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