Chavis carries Pirates to walkoff win with bat, defense taken at PNC Park (Pirates)

JUSTIN BERL / GETTY

Michael Chavis hits a walkoff RBI single against the Cubs on Thursday at PNC Park.

The Pirates have had a different hero in each of their last four wins. Jack Suwinski's three-homer, walkoff performance on Father's Day. Oneil Cruz living up to the hype in his 2022 debut. Bligh Madris typifying the club's youth movement with his first career home run.

On Thursday, it was Michael Chavis' turn to be the hero. And boy, did he ever put the team on his back and carry them to a much needed win after a 14-5 shellacking less than 24 hours prior.

At first, it didn't look like the Pirates needed a hero in Thursday's 8-7 win over the Cubs. The team was rolling along behind Ke'Bryan Hayes and Bryan Reynolds leading the way offensively, along with a strong outing from José Quintana, and carried a 6-2 lead into the eighth inning.

With David Bednar limited to just one inning, Derek Shelton asked Wil Crowe to follow up a scoreless seventh inning and pitch a second inning. Crowe didn't make it out of the eighth, and neither did the Pirates' lead. After an RBI single by Patrick Wisdom and a pair of two-run singles by Nico Hoerner and Alfonso Rivas, respectively, the Pirates trailed, 7-6, heading to the home half.

Something like that can deflate any team in baseball, especially a young roster. But Chavis was unflappable in that moment, immediately providing an answer on the first pitch from accomplished veteran reliever David Robertson in the Pittsburgh eighth:

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"Not much really changed there from the previous at-bats," Chavis said. "I’m just trying to get a good pitch to hit. I’ve been really focusing on that. It showed up on the first pitch. I put a pretty good swing on it. Caught it on time, so I felt pretty good about it, honestly. There’s not really too much that went into that one. First pitch. Saw it well. And put a good swing on it."

Okay, that's great and all. But that was a really big moment. The team just lost a four-run lead and all of its momentum. To answer like that, it's a game-changer.

"It’s exciting. I love playing baseball," Chavis said. "Those are the moments you dream of. It’s funny. There have been so many moments where I’ve been prepared to go up to bat. You think about trying to create that. In this opportunity, I didn’t think about trying to hit a home run. I’m just trying to get a single. I’m just trying to be team-oriented. Just get on base, pass the bat to somebody else. Of course, that time, when you’re not trying to do it, it does show up that way. That’s kind of how God works in my life. Whenever I try to make something happen, he’s like, ‘Nah, that’s not the plan.’ That’s just typical for my life. I’m glad it all worked out."

What's really special about this whole thing is that wasn't even the highlight of the day. That came after the game went into the 10th inning, which brings the controversial zombie runner into play. It's gotten to the point where clubs almost expect that runner to score, but get out of it with just the one run allowed. It's an entirely different game in extra innings.

"That starting on second rule," Chavis said, "it’s a bit of a curveball."

Wisdom -- a good athlete -- was Chicago's zombie runner, and he moved up to third base on a lineout by Yan Gomes. That brings the sacrifice fly and RBI groundout into play, which is why it's almost expected for that runner to score.

That is, unless a guy like Chavis pulls off this little dandy to keep the game tied:

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What makes it a more amazing play is Chavis' breakdown of how it developed in his head:

"Off the bat, I saw it was a high chopper and, as a baserunner, everybody is taught that off a high chopper, you go. Seeing it bounced high, I was assuming it was going to go. Out of the corner of my ear, I heard ‘Go, go, go, go!’ The third base coach was telling him to go. I knew Patrick Wisdom was a good athlete, so I knew he was going to get a good jump on it and I had to make a good throw. I just tried to get rid of it as quickly as possible. Luckily, the throw was in a good spot and Tyler handled it really well."

All of that -- the instinct, the awareness -- in only a second. This is why big-league baseball players are the best at what they do. And Derek Shelton quaintly summed up that moment, saying, "It was a nice culmination of about 30 minutes for Michael Chavis."

Because, of course, it was Chavis who delivered the coup de grâce to the Cubs after Chris Stratton kept Chicago off the board in the 10th.

After Reynolds was intentionally walked and Diego Castillo struck out to start the inning, Chavis did just enough with an 0-1 fastball on the inside corner to drive in Hayes from second base:

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Of course, the immediate concern was Hayes' condition after the collision with Willson Contreras on the head-first slide into home plate. Fortunately for Hayes and the Pirates, a source said that while he is sore, Hayes is "all good." Either way, Chavis recognized the effort and told him how much he appreciated it after the team left the field. 

"At the end of the day, that’s really all you can say," Chavis said. "It sucks that he got a little banged up, but I appreciate him balling out right there to score that run."

The Pirates have consistently preached to their players to play hard and remain engaged and aggressive until the 27th out in recorded. That was even evident in Wednesday night's blowout with four of the team's five runs coming in the ninth inning.

With the chance to take three of four from a division rival within grasp, Chavis made sure the Pirates took off for their weekend series in Tampa Bay on a good note.

“I like being in those kind of moments," Chavis said. "It’s a pressure situation but my favorite thing is to change the perception of the pressure. Instead of it being on me, I put it on the pitcher so that he has to make a pitch ... I really enjoy those moments, I really do. When they turn out like this, it’s really special.”


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