Staying ready for when your number is called is a bit of coach-speak that transcends sports.
In the Pittsburgh Pirates’ 3-2 walk-off win over the Baltimore Orioles on Saturday at PNC Park, multiple players proved they were primed for the moment.
Nick Yorke, originally entering the game as a pinch-runner, delivered the winning RBI single in the bottom of the ninth.
Pinch-hitter Jake Mangum tied the score 2-2 in the eighth, and three relievers — Hunter Barco, Isaac Mattson and Dennis Santana — combined to throw 4 1/3 scoreless innings in relief of starter Carmen Mlodzinski.
“It’s being alert, and these guys have bought into the team aspect. They’re ready on the bench, and they’re ready to roll in whatever situation,” manager Don Kelly said after the win in front of 27,949 fans, which was the Pirates’ (5-3) fourth in a row.
Yorke came to the plate in the ninth with one out and two men on: Bryan Reynolds, who doubled after Ryan O’Hearn drew an intentional walk vs. Orioles reliever Ryan Helsley.
Baltimore got burned on a would-be strike three that would have retired Yorke, but the Orioles (3-5) were bereft of remaining ABS challenges so the call by home plate umpire Dan Iassogna stood.
Yorke connected on Helsley’s next pitch, ripping a line drive into left field over Dylan Beavers to win the game.
“Happy I was able to come through and help the boys with the win,” Yorke said postgame. “Just compete. Just do everything you can preparation wise before the game leading up to that moments where I might be able to come into the game, and then just compete my butt off.”
An inning prior, it was Yorke who scored the tying run, as Mangum hit a dribbler into no man’s land between pitcher Anthony Nunez and second baseman Blaze Alexander.
Reynolds (2 for 4, two runs, double, walk) was the only Pirate with multiple hits, and Santana (2-0, 0.00) was Saturday’s winning pitcher after delivering a clean top of the ninth.
Mlodzinski, who posted a career-high eight strikeouts against the New York Mets on March 29 in his season-opening start, was less effective Saturday.
He lasted 4 2/3 innings, allowing two runs on five hits, walking three with five strikeouts. Mlodzinski was relieved with two outs in the fifth, having thrown 84 pitches (49 for strikes).
Through three innings, Mlodzinski was sharp, but in a recurring theme for the 27-year-old, whose quest to prove he belongs in a big-league starting rotation continues, trouble arose upon seeing the opposing batting order for a second time.
In the fourth, Gunnar Henderson and Adley Rutschman got aboard with singles. Beavers then followed with a third straight base hit, knocking Henderson in to make it 1-0 Orioles.
Mlodzinski proceeded to walk Coby Mayo before Leody Taveras put Baltimore up 2-0 with an RBI single.
But Mlodzinski, who limited the damage to two runs and would depart the game soon thereafter, took some solace in not letting things get out of hand.
“I think that’s what I’m going to take away: I kept it close,” Mlodzinski said. “The game didn’t get too far away from us there, and then the bullpen was able to come up and pick me up. Just be efficient. Walking guys is always going to hurt you (but) was able to keep it close. There’s some goods. There’s some bads. Stuff to grow from, for sure.”
Meantime, the Pirates trimmed their deficit to 2-1 in the bottom of the fourth, courtesy of a Spencer Horwitz sacrifice fly that scored Reynolds, who got aboard to lead off thanks to a fielding error on Baltimore starter Shane Baz.
Baz (0-0, 3.27 ERA) pitched 5 2/3 innings Saturday, limiting the Pirates to three hits while walking three and striking out five.
Lefty rookie Barco followed Mlodzinski to the hill, getting out of the fifth and staying on for 2 1/3 total innings, walking three with a strikeout.
Mattson took over in the eighth and pitched a clean inning, with Santana tossing the ninth.
Top prospect Konnor Griffin went 0 for 3 in the loss but was hit by a pitch in the fourth and had a consequential groundout in the eighth that moved Yorke to second, helping set the stage for Mangum’s tying RBI.
Struggling designated hitter Marcell Ozuna, 1 of 23 at the plate to begin the year ahead of Saturday’s contest, went 1 for 4 with a pair of strikeouts.
He led off the eighth with a softly hit grounder to third that was ruled a single and was replaced on the basepaths by Yorke.