Pirates Catcher Proving He Belongs in MLB
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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates have searched for a catcher that can provide from the plate and behind it as well and they finally have their player.
Catcher Endy Rodríguez played a huge role in the Pirates 7-0 win over the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium on May 20, with some timely hits and strong defensive work.
Rodríguez had two hits and two walks in five plate appearances, while catching five different pitchers and earning the sixth shutout for the Pirates this season and helping them end a four-game losing streak.
He has only spent a little more than a week with the Pirates, after they recalled him on May 12, but is showing that he is a key member of the team.
Why Pirates Need Rodríguez Performing Like This
The Pirates brought Rodríguez up, with catcher Joey Bart going on the 10-day injured list with a left foot infection.
Bart will miss more time than the 10 days, with Pirates general manager Ben Cherington saying he has to have his foot fully heal before he makes a return to baseball activites.
The other Pirates catcher is Henry Davis, who has been fantastic from behind the plate, serving as Paul Skenes' personal catcher and earned Gold Glove Award votes last season.
Davis hasn't hit well at all for the Pirates and he's continued his struggles this season, slashing .137/.241/.232 for an OPS of .473 in 35 games, with 13 hits in 95 at-bats.
Rodríguez has hit well so far this season, with a slash line of .333/.500/.417 for an OPS of .917, with four hits in 12 at-bats, a double, two RBI and four walks to three strikeouts.
He has also had success from behind the plate, also catching five different Pirates pitchers in his team debut this season in the 7-2 win over the Colorado Rockies at PNC Park on May 14, where he also had two hits, two RBI and a walk at the plate.
Rodríguez's success at both areas of his game, is a crucial aspect to him holding onto a spot in the major leagues and he's done a great job so far.
Rodríguez Plays Crucial Role vs. Cardinals
The Pirates had come into this game vs. the Cardinals off of four straight defeats, which included a series sweep against the Philadelphia Phillies at PNC Park, May 15-17, then losing 9-6 to the Cardinals in the series opener on May 19, where they held the lead later on and could've won it.
Rodríguez worked with right-handed starting pitcher Carmen Mlodzinski, who had a strong outing, posting five scoreless innings and allowing just four hits and a walk.
He also got four scoreless innings from the bullpen, which included helping right-handed pitcher Yohan Ramírez working out of a bases-loaded situation, striking out Cardinals shortstop Masyn Winn after going down 3-0 and then getting a big fly ball for the final out.
Left-handed pitcher Evan Sisk threw a scoreless seventh inning after giving up a home run the game prior, then both right-handed pitchers Justin Lawrence and Dennis Santana, who have struggled in May, both threw scoreless frames in the eighth and ninth innings, respectively, to secure the win.
This game marked the first time since May 7 and ended a 10-game streak of the bullpen giving up a run.
His production at the plate was also crucial, helping the Pirates score some runs and extend rallies.
Rodríguez walked with two outs in the top of the fourth inning, which allowed center fielder Jhostynxon Garcia to hit an RBI-single and score shortstop Konnor Griffin to make it 2-0.
He then hit a single in the top of the sixth inning, one of three alongside Griffin and Garcia to load the bases, which eventually scored Griffin again on a sacrifice-fly from third baseman Nick Gonzales.
Griffin and Gonzales singled back-to-back to start the seventh inning, which eventually started a rally and the Pirates scored four runs, giving them a 7-0 lead and on their way to a win.
It was a huge game for Rodríguez, who added production from the seventh spot in the lineup and got the Pirates back to winning ways.
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Dominic writes for Pittsburgh Pirates On SI, Pittsburgh Panthers Pn SI and also, Pittsburgh Steelers On SI. A Pittsburgh native, Dominic grew up watching Pittsburgh Sports and wrote for The Pitt News as an undergraduate at the University of Pittsburgh, covering Pitt Athletics. He would write for Pittsburgh Sports Now after college and has years of experience covering sports across Pittsburgh.