Pirates 3 Takeaways: Bryan Reynolds’ Walk-Off Home Run Improbable (+)
Bryan Reynolds majored in psychology at Vanderbilt. He has a better idea about how the mind works than most people.
Thus, the Pittsburgh Pirates center fielder was not thinking about everything surrounding the Milwaukee Brewers, their new closer and reworked bullpen when he stepped to the plate to lead off the bottom of the ninth inning Wednesday night.
“I was just trying to get on base,” the always-understated Reynolds said.
Reynolds did more than that. He hit a walk-off home run off new Brewers closer Devin Williams to give the Pirates an 8-7 victory at PNC Park.
The Pirates have won the first two games of the three-game series with the National League Central leaders. Coming into the series, the Pirates had lost seven games in a row.
Reynolds’ home run was his 16th of the season but improbable under the circumstances.
Williams had not allowed a home runs all season in 43 games and 39.2 innings. The last extra-base hit he surrendered was on May 20. Williams also had a streak of 30 straight scoreless relief appearances, a franchise record.
Yet Reynolds ended Williams’ streak by hitting a 2-0 fastball 425 feet to right-center field to win the game.
“I walked up to the plate telling myself, ‘This probably isn’t a guy you’re hitting a home run off of, so just try to get him in the zone or maybe he’ll walk you.,’” Reynolds said. “I got to a good count, and he threw me a heater.”
It was Williams’ first outing since the Brewers surprisingly traded four-time All-Star closer Josh Hader to the San Diego Padres on Monday. Williams expressed his disappointment in the trade. Yet Reynolds said he wasn’t thinking about the possible mindset of the opposing pitcher.
Reynolds finished 3 for 4 with a walk and three runs scored.
“That guy’s elite,” Pirates manager Derek Shelton said of Williams. “Bryan was able to get ahead in the count and he had good swings all night, got a pitch up and didn’t miss it, which ended up very good for us.”
Catcher Shortage
Catcher Tyler Heineman left the game after the fourth inning with right groin discomfort. He was injured while grounding out.
It seems likely Heineman will need an injured list stint. And that left the Pirates scrambling to fill the void.
Jason Delay finished the game behind the plate. He and Heineman are the only two catchers on the Pirates’ 40-man roster.
Thus, the Pirates will likely call one of their three catchers at Triple-A Indianapolis – Carter Bins, Taylor Davis or Jamie Ritchie. Davis is the only one with major leagues experience, having played in 22 games over four seasons with the Chicago Cubs (2017-19) and Pirates (2021).
The Pirates could have a logistical problem getting a catcher to Pittsburgh on time for Thursday’s series finale, which is scheduled for 12:35 p.m. Wednesday’s game did not end until 10:54 p.m.
Cederlind Setback
If all had gone according to plan, hard-throwing Blake Cederlind would be a key member of the Pirates’ bullpen. Instead, the 26-year-old right-hander is recovering from a second elbow surgery.
Cederlind had a debridement procedure done Tuesday to remove loose bodies from the elbow. That came 16 months after he underwent Tommy John ligament replacement surgery.
Cederlind made his major league debut during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season and pitched five times. He made his last appearance Sept. 27 and has not pitched at either the major league or minor league level since.
Dr. Neal ElAttrache performed both surgeries in the Los Angeles area.
“Most importantly for Blake, the reconstructed ligament is intact and as in the words of Dr. ElAttrache ‘pristine’ status right now,” Pirates director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk said.
Cederlind will now miss a second straight full season. That further diminishes his prospect status, through no fault of his own.
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