Tellez, Bart answer call with Pirates in desperate need of offense

PHOENIX -- Facing a one-run deficit and desperately needing something to happen in the top of the ninth inning Sunday afternoon, Derek Shelton turned to his bench and called upon two of his more reliable bats to help provide an offensive spark for a team that mustered just three hits through the first eight innings. 

Rowdy Tellez, out of the starting lineup each of the last two days due to back spasms, put together a pivotal nine-pitch at-bat that ended in a leadoff double off closer Paul Sewald, and Joey Bart later followed with a double of his own to plate the game-tying run in the Pirates' 6-5 win over the Diamondbacks at Chase Field. 

"They had good at-bats that changed the game in the ninth inning against a really good closer," Shelton said. "Rowdy worked all day to get ready for one at-bat. Joey came off the bench, took a really good swing and tied the game. We just kinda went from there." 

Speaking on his radio show on 93.7 The Fan earlier in the day, Ben Cherington mentioned that Tellez was feeling better and showing improvement after his back locked up on him during a third-inning at-bat on Friday. He finished the at-bat before being replaced on defense the next half-inning. While he wasn't quite ready to be in the lineup, he laid off some tough pitches to get ahead 3-1 and fouled off four in a row before sending a 91 mph fastball on the outer part of the plate into deep center for a leadoff double:

After Sewald picked up back-to-back strikeouts, it was Bart's turn to contribute with the team down to its last out. Sewald landed a first-pitch sweeper on the outer third before Bart -- like Tellez -- turned on a fastball on the outer edge and sent it the other way for an opposite-field double over the head of Corbin Carroll in right to tie the game at 2-2: 

“We were actually in the cage together and (the mentality) was just make something happen. Seems like, late in a game, we’re always right there. It’s 2-1, it’s been dead a few innings, but the mentality is always something can happen," Bart said. "Always one swing away, so that’s kind of how we attacked it and luckily it worked out. Came back and were able to hold it together.” 

Heading into his at-bat and knowing what was at stake, Bart was focused on competing, looking for a good pitch to hit and putting his "A-swing on it." 

“Go down with my best, go up there and put the best at-bat together as I can, and hopefully it works out," he added. "Really just keep the line moving, try to find a way to get on first base, try to find a way to keep the thing rolling. I was lucky to find some grass.” 

The timely hitting by Tellez and Bart helped set the tone for the offensive output the Pirates put on display in the 10th inning. Ji Hwan Bae led off with a bunt single and later scored the go-ahead run on a wild pitch to make it 3-2. Two free passes, including an intentional walk to Oneil Cruz, who homered for the second time in as many days in the sixth, loaded the bases with one out before Alika Williams plated a run with a hit by pitch and Ke'Bryan Hayes delivered with a two-run single to make it a 6-2 game: 

"Huge hit. Big hit by Ke'," Shelton said. "He had better at-bats today, but that's a game-changer for us right there." 

The Diamondbacks did make things interesting against Colin Holderman in the bottom of the 10th, scoring three runs on homers by Eugenio Suarez and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. The tying run reached third on a Carroll triple, but Holderman managed to preserve the win and help the Pirates avoid being swept for the first time since mid-April/early-May. 

After dropping back-to-back games Friday and Saturday, Shelton labeled this one as the biggest victory of the season. They're now back to being a game above .500 with a 53-52 mark and trail the Mets by two games for the final wild card spot in the National League. 

It remains to be seen whether Cherington will add to the group ahead of Tuesday's trade deadline. A groin injury to Nick Gonzales, one that has landed him on the 10-day injured list and should keep him out of action for weeks, certainly provides a tough blow to the offense moving forward. However, a win like this was much-needed heading into a three-game series against the Astros in Houston. 

And while there was plenty that factored into it once the game went into extras, none of it would have been possible without the late-game at-bats Tellez and Bart delivered in the ninth.

“It’s huge. It’s something you prepare for and you’ve got to be ready to go," Bart said. "I felt like I was ready to go and good things happened.”