The Pirates were down but not out in their final game before the All-Star break, as Wilmer Difo and John Nogowski headlined a ninth inning rally in Queens to help the Bucs win, 5-4, and split the four-game series against the New York Mets on Sunday.
Here’s Greg Brown with the recap.
Infielder Rodolfo Castro kick-started the Pirates’ rally by hitting home runs in back-to-back innings. Bucs manager Derek Shelton said he brings an element of excitement to the organization when he takes the field.
Starter Chase De Jong ran into some trouble early on in the game, giving up five runs in the first inning, but Shelton said he rebounded well.
Shelton also credited the comeback as just one part of the players buying into a winning culture.
The Pirates wrap up the first half of the 2021 season with a 36-54 record, and will resume play on Thursday against the Mets at PNC Park.
While the players were on the field for Pittsburgh yesterday, the front office was busy Sunday night as the Pirates had the first overall pick in the 2021 MLB Draft. With that pick, they selected Henry Davis, a power-hitting catcher out of the University of Louisville.
Davis posted a .370 batting average in his final season with the Cardinals and hit 15 home runs with 47 runs batted in.
Davis said that he’s ready to get to work in Pittsburgh.
Pirates General Manager Ben said he’s had his eye on Davis since he played in high school, and that he always looks to improve his game.
Pirates General Manager Ben Cherington said that Davis was on top of the board, but it was close. He said that while all the potential picks had different strengths that impressed him and the Pirates’ scouts, “we feel really good about the person we’re betting on here.”
The last catcher the Pirates drafted in the first round was Tony Sanchez in 2009, who they took fourth overall.
Marcelo Mayer, who was the heavily-favored No. 1 overall pick, was selected by the Boston Red Sox fourth overall. Vanderbilt pitchers Jack Leiter and Kumar Rocker were drafted in the top 10. Leiter went second overall to the Texas Rangers, while Rocker fell to the No. 10 pick with the New York Mets.
All-Star festivities kicked off yesterday with the Futures Game featuring top prospects from the American and National Leagues.
Pirates pitcher Quinn Priester pitched in the top of the fourth inning with positive results. After walking Adley Rutschman – the top catcher for the Baltimore Orioles – Priester forced Nick Pratto into a fielder’s choice, then struck out White Sox prospect Yoelqui Cespedes.
The National League took home the win over the American League, 8-3.
Festivities continue tonight with the Home Run Derby. Among participants are Angels two-way slugger Shohei Ohtani, who leads the MLB in home runs with 33, last year’s champ Pete Alonso and Trevor Story from the Colorado Rockies.
The Derby begins at 8 p.m.
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