Kevin Gorman’s Take 5: Pirates 'better than one call' but would like to see umpires get it right (2024)

Henry Davis had just watched video replay of the first-inning foul tip that was called a passed ball and cost the Pittsburgh Pirates a run in a game they lost in extra innings to the Minnesota Twins on Sunday.

So it would be safe to assume the Pirates catcher wasn’t happy with home plate umpire Ryan Wills and chief Chad Fairchild’s crew, which conferred but didn’t change the call.

Quite the opposite, actually.

Davis, who noted that catchers “probably have a unique relationship with umpires,” said it was a “really hard call” because his glove screened Wills’ view of Jared Jones’ 98 mph fastball and prevented him from seeing that it glanced off the barrel of Byron Buxton’s bat.

“If you look at the video replay, my glove is fully in front of the ball,” Davis said. “I’m about to catch it. Now he’s going to go off Jared throwing 100 mph: Was that sound, did it tip leather or did it tip wood? Both of our first reactions with a runner on third are to glance right. You’re immediately looking at the ball looking in the other direction.”

Davis and Wills weren’t the only ones looking in the other direction.

The Minneapolis Star-Tribune reported that Buxton said he played it off, glancing away when Davis asked if his bat got a piece of the ball: “The catcher was like, ‘You foul tipped it?’ I was like, ‘I ain’t even see you talking to me, brother.’ ”

Where Jones expressed frustration with the outcome — it allowed Max Kepler to score from third for a 3-0 lead — Davis emphasized the Pirates are “better than one call” but voiced his disagreement with the MLB rule that the play isn’t reviewable.

“It could have been overturned,” Davis said. “I think the frustrating part is we can get that right. … I don’t think anybody would expect (perfection). They’re human beings, right? Every night, they’re doing their best on every call, every moment. But I think if we have the ability to get it right — I don’t necessarily know the rulebook — but if we can see on the rulebook that it’s reviewable, I would expect that to happen.”

1. Taking blame

If there is a positive to come out of a bad loss, it’s how two young players took responsibility for their roles in putting the Pirates behind from the start.

When Jones was asked what was off about his five-inning performances, the 22-year-old rookie right-hander was blunt: “Everything. Simple enough as that.”

Davis, a 24-year-old in his first season behind the plate in the majors, pinned the problems on his pitch calling.

“I thought I called a terrible first inning,” Davis said. “Whether I wasn’t adjusting quick enough or there were just … I really just thought I called a poor game in that first inning. Afterwards, he responded and threw well, but it wasn’t (on him). Poor on my end.”

The acts of accountability from a pair of high draft picks — Jones was a 2020 second-rounder, Davis the No. 1 overall pick in 2021 — was refreshing sign for the Pirates.

2. Hell week

Pirates general manager Ben Cherington said on his weekly radio show on 93.7 FM before Sunday’s game that his hand was forced with right-handed reliever Ben Heller.

Heller had an out clause in his contract, which Cherington was afraid Heller would trigger after recording 34 strikeouts and a .214 batting average against in 15 appearances at Triple-A Indianapolis. Cherington said a team showed interest in signing Heller, so the Pirates selected his contract Tuesday.

After giving up five runs in the fifth inning of Thursday’s 11-7 loss to the Dodgers and seven runs (six earned) in the 10th inning of the 11-5 loss to the Twins, Heller has a 49.50 ERA in two appearances for the Pirates and was worried about squandering his chance.

“Got to have a short memory,” Heller said. “I know what I can do. I know I’m here for a reason. You don’t get to play this game until you’re 32 years old as a right-handed relief pitcher unless you’re pretty dang good. I know what I’m capable of, and I’m determined to figure it out.”

Heller was the Pirates’ last reliever available, a result of a bullpen start Saturday and a short start by Jones that required manager Derek Shelton to use Kyle Nicolas, Jonathan Bruihl, Hunter Stratton and Aroldis Chapman to get through nine innings.

3. Rowdy recovery

If Heller needs proof fortunes can change with the Pirates in a flick of the wrist, he needs to look no further to how Rowdy Tellez became the feel-good story of the weekend.

The Pirates first baseman had been booed relentlessly by fans at PNC Park since early April, and more came after he grounded into a double play then struck out in his first two at-bats Saturday.

Then Tellez hit a 403-foot shot to center in the seventh inning for his first home run since March 31 and added a two-run single in the eighth inning of the 4-0 victory.

Tellez had become so accustomed to being booed by the home fans that he had a hard time believing how quickly their tune changed as the crowd chanted his name for a curtain call.

“I feel honored. It’s kind of emotional to feel that,” Tellez said. “It’s been a lot of downs, not so many ups for me to start this year, so just trying to be the best teammate I can, day in day out. Young guys have questions, anybody needs help, anybody needs anything, trying to be there every time. So it was, I think emotional is a good word to hear my name chanted and to feel like kind of bring pride to these people and the Pirate Nation.”

4. Turning point

The Pirates have raved about Tellez’s professionalism despite his struggles, which included an 18-game stretch over a month in which he batted .125 with one extra-base hit and one RBI.

Shelton is hopeful it’s a turning point for Tellez.

“If you watch him, he’s out every day, he’s signing autographs, he’s a good teammate, he’s good in the clubhouse,” Shelton said. “So I think what you saw was a bunch of guys that really felt for a guy that had been through some tough times, and then our fans got after it. It was really cool. Big crowd. … They were into it. That resonates with players.”

Tellez has multiple hits in four of his past five games, including three consecutive with two hits. He’s not only hoping to fulfill his role as a power bat in the middle of the lineup but one who can continually come through in the clutch.

“That’s kind of what you want: You want to be in big moments all the time,” Tellez said. “That means you’re playing meaningful games, so I think I wanted to be in those moments all the time.”

5. Broom doom

Despite an awful ending to the six-game homestand, the Pirates took two of three games from both the Los Angeles Dodgers and Twins at PNC Park.

Series wins over a pair of playoff contenders should be celebrated.

That the Pirates didn’t sweep either series shows they still have a ways to go to become a contender.

The Pirates (31-34) entered Monday’s day off in last place in the NL Central but only a half-game out of second place and from wild-card contention. With three-game series at St. Louis and Colorado, the Pirates have a chance to make up some ground in the standings.