ST. LOUIS – Michael Chavis didn’t know he could do a split until he was with the Red Sox. He has always had to do hip mobility training to play second base because he has naturally tight hips. Playing at first one day, he reached for a ball and noticed he was doing a split.
He couldn’t believe it. Then a thought crossed his mind. “I don’t know how to get up.”
“When I was growing up, I wasn't a super flexible person,” Chavis said. “For the physical fitness test in middle school, I was running the mile, doing the push-ups, but the sit and reach was never really my thing. So I'm kind of weirdly proud about it, because it's something I had to work for.”
So while Chavis would deliver the big hit of the afternoon at Busch Stadium, a third inning grand slam off the Cardinals’ Steven Matz, it was this split and pick at first base…
That was the turning point in the Pirates’ 9-4 win Sunday.
“That's a huge momentum swinger,” starter Bryse Wilson said of that double-play. “First and third in the second inning with one out. [Paul] Goldschmidt up to bat, he's a very good situational hitter. To get a great play on all parts, to roll into that double-play, I think is a big momentum swing. It led to five runs the next half inning."
That double-play was just one of a bevy of highlight reel-worthy plays. With a lead in hand, shortstop Kevin Newman covered serious ground ball up the middle to get to a Tyler O’Neill ground before doing a 360 to throw him out.
What a pretty play by Kevin Newman 😍 pic.twitter.com/2WADOz8Gj6
— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) April 10, 2022
Newly-minted $70 million man Ke’Bryan Hayes flashed the leather at the hot corner to rob Paul DeJong of a line-drive double:
And Diego Castillo, making his first major-league start, got in on the fun with a diving catch to send Yadier Molina back to the pine:
“That was a good one, huh?” Castillo said with a smile. “Against Yadi, one of the best catchers in the world!”
Mix in a couple other good plays from Hayes and right fielder Jake Marisnick, and the Pirates put up a defensive performance good enough to overshadow their bats breaking out for the first time in the young season.
“I don’t know if you can play defense any better than we play defense today,” Derek Shelton said. “It really stood out and helped us win a game.”
Shelton credited the practice the Pirates have been putting in for their success Sunday. After making a pair of errors in the opener, it was the type of performance that better indicated the direction this infield could potentially go.
The last two years, the Pirates’ infield broke even as a unit, going by Baseball Savant’s Outs Above Average (-1) and runs prevented (0). With a full year of Hayes at third, not to mention retaining Newman’s glove at short, Chavis occasionally at first and the mix at second base between Chavis, Castillo and Cole Tucker, the Pirates could have a potentially plus infield behind their pitchers.
“It gives me more confidence to throw my pitches,” Miguel Yajure, who tossed two scoreless innings, said. “Don’t try to strike out everybody. Just try to find contact. I love to have that defense behind me.”
"It's cool to see what this team can actually do when we're clicking on all cylinders,” Wilson said.
And for the infielders…
“If we keep doing this, big things are gonna happen,” Castillo said.
“Seeing Ke’Bryan make nasty play, Diego makes a nasty play up the middle,” Chavis said. “I mean, everybody's making plays, and I'm just standing there trying to catch it.”
Well, in Chavis’ case, standing there or splitting.
GETTY
Michael Chavis rounds the bases after his grand slam Sunday in St. Louis.
• Wilson put the Pirates in a tough spot early, surrendering plenty of hard contact, as well as a home run to Nolan Arenado, to spot the Cardinals three runs in the first.
He and catcher Roberto Pérez changed their approach from there, "working backwards" by having offspeed stuff set up the fastball instead, particularly the two-seamer. The results was three scoreless frames before ending his night.
"Three runs, we can overcome that," Wilson said. "Obviously we did. That was the main goal to keep the team in the game. That's the biggest thing as a starting pitcher. As long as you give your team a chance to win, that's the most important thing."
• Wilson was replaced by Yajure, who went two scoreless frames and picked up his first big-league win with a scoreless fifth and sixth.
"It feels really good," Yajure said after the celebration and the beers had been broken out in the clubhouse for him. "I had been waiting for it for a long time, trying to work hard. Feels really good to finally get it."
Stuff wise, his fastball was consistently in the 93-95 mph range, several ticks up from the end of last season when he was still on the mend from a forearm injury. This winter, he lost weight and focused on taking care of his arm to make sure he got that velocity back.
"I worked so much in the offseason," he said, visibly proud. "Seeing that [felt] good."
• Chavis, in addition to those splits at first, led the way on offense as well, picking up three hits to go with the grand slam.
Castillo also got in on the fun with three hits in his first major-league start, continuing his hot stretch that started in spring training and only one hiccup on opening day.
"It feels better that I don’t have all kinds of things in my mind from opening day," Castillo said. "I’m feeling like Diego again. I’m feeling super relaxed before the game. I’m ready to go now."
In addition to making good plays in the field, Newman, Hayes and Marisnick each also picked up RBI knocks.
Wil Crowe finished the eighth and ninth with two scoreless frames.
"Today was probably about as good as I’ve seen Wil Crowe in two years," Shelton said. "His tempo was outstanding, execution of pitches.... We told him we’re going to use him in different roles and he came in and saved us from having to use [David] Bednar and [Chris] Stratton in a game and went through the heart of their order.
• Per a source, Hayes' eight-year deal is broken down as followed in terms of yearly salary: $10 million each in 2022 and 2023, $7 million each in 2024-27, $8 million each in 2028-2029, plus a $12 million club option with a $6 million buyout in 2030. He will also make $500,000 for each MVP he wins.
THE ESSENTIALS
• Boxscore
• Live file
• Standings
• Statistics
• Schedule
• Scoreboard
THE HIGHLIGHTS
THE INJURIES
• 10-day injured list: OF Anthony Alford (right hand), LHP Sam Howard (back), RHP Max Kranick (forearm), RHP Luis Oviedo (right ankle), RHP Duane Underwood Jr. (hamstring). In his radio show on 93.7 The Fan Sunday, Cherington said Howard is throwing bullpens, Kranick is throwing live batting practices and Alford is "feeling better." Oviedo threw a 1-2-3, 14 pitch inning in a rehab start for low Class A Bradenton Sunday.
• 60-day injured list: OF Greg Allen (hamstring), RHP Blake Cederlind (UCL), RHP Nick Mears (elbow surgery)
THE LINEUPS
Shelton's card:
1. Ke'Bryan Hayes, 3B
2. Bryan Reynolds, CF
3. Michael Chavis, 1B
4. Yoshi Tsutsugo, DH
5. Diego Castillo, 2B
6. Kevin Newman, SS
7. Jake Marisnick, RF
8. Roberto Pérez, C
9. Ben Gamel, LF
And for Oli Marmol's Cardinals:
1. Dylan Carlson, RF
2. Paul Goldschmidt, 1B
3. Tyler O'Neill, LF
4. Nolan Arenado, 3B
5. Corey Dickerson, DH
6. Paul DeJong, SS
7. Yadier Molina, C
8. Harrison Bader, CF
9. Tommy Edman, 2B
THE SCHEDULE
The Pirates will go for the split Monday at 2:15 p.m. Eastern. Zach Thompson will make his first start with his new team against Dakota Hudson. I've got you covered from Busch Stadium.
THE CONTENT
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