Kevin Gorman’s Take 5: Pirates' first exhibition game at PNC Park was weird, wonderful

Perhaps the best way to describe the first baseball game of 2020 at PNC Park is to say it was an exhibition game that looked like a Major League Baseball regular-season game, was played like a spring training game and pretended to play to a packed house instead of an empty stadium.

Weird and wonderful, all rolled into one.

Pirates rookie manager Derek Shelton was there for the wonderful against the Cleveland Indians on Saturday night, savoring his first chance to see the city skyline from the home dugout while managing against another major-league team at PNC Park.

That counts for something, even if it the outcome doesn’t. (Cleveland rallied for a 5-3 victory).

Baseball!#LetsGoBucs pic.twitter.com/h4utX4uQ0G

— Pirates (@Pirates) July 18, 2020

“I think throughout the day it was kind of building up with just the excitement of being out on the field here in a real game, putting the uniform on,” Shelton said. “We’ve been in shorts and T-shirts, especially the staff, for the past three weeks. So to be out there and just watch the game, full umpires, night game, visiting team, it was really fun. …

“I think there was definitely a different hop in our step today. As we’ve talked about, our guys have been really good. The intensity and the energy has been very good. It was a little bit different. It was a little palpable.”

The ballpark was empty, other than staff and media, so the noise you heard on TV was mostly manufactured. The Pirates played an endless loop of automated crowd noise mixed with interruptions of the recorded organ music of Vince Lascheid and player introductions with walk-up songs. Some of it added atmosphere. Some made you scratch your head — like playing the sing-along “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” with no fans.

“It’s not true, authentic fan noise that you hear,” Pirates pitcher Joe Musgrove said. “It’s run through speakers, so that’s a little bit strange.”

A strange start to an odd season in an even-numbered year.

Big Baseball Energy™ pic.twitter.com/75PXFBsi0D

— Pirates (@Pirates) July 18, 2020

1. Grooving: Musgrove pitched three scoreless innings, allowing one hit (a single by Francisco Lindor in the first), one walk (to designated hitter Franmil Reyes in the second) and five strikeouts (three in the first and two in the third).

The right-hander looked good, only a day after being announced as the starter for Opening Day on Friday at St. Louis.

“Yeah, really good,” Shelton said. “Really sharp. That last start before the Opening Day start is a pare-down start with the three innings, but really sharp. I thought the ball came out of his hand nice. Executed his plan. Very happy with that.”

Musgrove mixed his sinker and slider to keep Cleveland’s bats mostly silent. He was efficient, throwing 30 of his 40 pitches for strikes. And he showed poise, striking out Carlos Santana after allowing Lindor’s hit in the first and doubling off Reyes at first after a line drive by Tyler Naquin.

“Yeah, I mean, I went out there and treated this like the first game of the year,” Musgrove said. “Intensity-wise, my only goal was to go out and dominate. Not trying to work on anything anymore, not trying to add pitches. I’m not trying to necessarily tune anything up. It’s just go out there and compete and get a feel for that atmosphere with no fans and having a real competition in the box and not facing your own guys. I got to pitch a little bit differently than I been pitching our guys the past couple weeks. I felt really good.”

Making it look easy. pic.twitter.com/9n5XuJHGvY

— Pirates (@Pirates) July 19, 2020

2. Highlights: Colin Moran started at third, batted fifth and went 2 for 3, with a double in the second and a single in the fourth. … Erik Gonzalez started at shortstop in place of Kevin Newman – who Shelton said was “a little dinged up” but could have played, if necessary – and went 2 for 3, scoring the game’s first run in the fifth and driving in another in the sixth. … First baseman Josh Bell grounded out twice before crushing one off the left-center wall in the sixth and scoring on a Gonzalez single. … With Gregory Polanco testing positive for covid-19, Guillermo Heredia started in right field and hit a two-run single. … Steven Brault and Chad Kuhl pitched piggyback, each throwing two scoreless innings. … Lindor made a fantastic stop behind second base and glove flip to Cesar Hernandez to force Jarrod Dyson out on a fielder’s choice in the fifth.

We've missed @Lindor12BC plays. pic.twitter.com/RgSHkfyu6b

— MLB (@MLB) July 19, 2020

3. Lowlights: In his first audition for the closer role, Kyle Crick struggled mightily. He entered in the eighth against Cleveland’s substitutes and walked the first two batters he faced, forced a pop fly and then gave up a single to load the bases. Christian Arroyo cleared them with a double to tie the game. The Indians added another run when Yu Chang doubled off Dovydas Neverauskas, so Crick allowed four runs (all earned) on two hits and two walks with no strikeouts. … In his first audition for a regular role, Jose Osuna started as designated hittter but went 0 for 4. … Moran was picked off at first in the fourth inning. … Reliever Nick Burdi pitched the ninth, allowing a double to Daniel Johnson, hitting Beau Taylor with a pitch and giving up a run on Greg Allen’s single.

Chaz Palla | Tribune-Review

Pirates catcher Luke Maile during base running practice Monday, July 13, 2020 at PNC Park.

4. So long, Luke: The Pirates lost catcher Luke Maile for the season when he was hit by a pitch on his right index finger Thursday in an intrasquad game and had surgery on Friday.

Signed as a free agent this offseason, Maile was a defensive specialist who was expected to back up Jacob Stallings. It’s the second consecutive year the Pirates lost a free agent to a hand injury in that fashion, as Lonnie Chisenhall was hit by a pitch in an exhibition game against Houston and never played last season.

That makes John Ryan Murphy the backup and gives Andrew Susac, who was added from Altoona, a chance to either make the team as the third catcher or be added to the taxi squad.

“It’s really unfortunate for Luke,” Shelton said. “I think, as he had told you guys, he was in one of the better spots he’d been in his career swinging the bat, which was very evident, in terms of how he looked during our intrasquad games. Anytime you lose catching depth, it dings you a little bit but I’m really happy that we have Murph here to be able to catch.”

Mood ? pic.twitter.com/IsrYzj6tGa

— Cole Tucker (@cotuck) July 19, 2020

5. Cole exposure: Pirates shortstop Cole Tucker replaced Adam Frazier and played second base against Cleveland — allowing Oneil Cruz, called up from Altoona, to play shortstop in the late innings — and could soon be seeing some time at another position.

With a shortage of outfielders, Tucker did outfield drills with Tarrik Brock in anticipation of playing all three spots. With Polanco out, the Pirates have only four outfielders in camp.

“I think there’s a chance that we could see him bounce around,” Shelton said. “He’s extremely athletic, which makes him versatile. And if there’s a chance we could get him on the field in different spots, I think we’ll probably try to do that. He’s a really good athlete and he’s taken to it. He’s excited about being out there. … I think he has the ability to play all three with not much issue.”