Pirates notebook: Kevin Newman makes 'incredible play' as Derek Shelton credits defense

Kevin Newman chased Jeimer Candelario’s pop fly with his back to the diamond, the Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop turning and running into shallow left field before making an over-the-shoulder catch for the final out in the top of the third inning of their 6-3 win over the Detroit Tigers.

“Off the bat, it’s kind of just a sprint backwards and look up and try to find the ball. It’s kind of just a timing thing and and knowing where your outfielders are,” Newman said. “I knew they weren’t going to have the chance to get there, so, obviously, going to do my best to try and get to the ball. Thankfully got there and held onto it.”

Kevin Newman & Ke'Bryan Hayes with a little "Labor of Glove" on this holiday weekend.
The @Pirates helping Bryse Wilson hold on to a 2-0 lead over the Tigers now on AT&T SportsNet! pic.twitter.com/izb2Lsw97R

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If Newman made the play look routine, it was by design.

The pop-up is a play the Pirates shortstop ends his ground-ball routine with infielders coach Joey Cora every day during batting practice. Pirates pitcher Bryse Wilson called it an “incredible play.” Pirates manager Derek Shelton counted it among the team’s top plays.

“We’ve done it every single day,” Newman said, “and this is the first time it’s shown up in the game.”

Capital D

The Pirates pounded out 11 hits against the Tigers on Monday at PNC Park, but what manager Derek Shelton wanted to talk about most was the way they played in the field.

“That was about as well as we can play defensively,” Shelton said. “That was really good in all facets. Man, we really played well defensively. I mean, I know we added on (four runs in the seventh), but I think we won that game because of how well we played defensively.”

Along with Newman’s catch, the Pirates got a 3-6 double play by first baseman Yoshi Tsutsugo in the seventh inning just before Jonathan Schoop’s double and a chopper by Eric Haase that reliever Chris Stratton fielded off the mound in the eighth.

“We actually work on in spring training because it’s such a weird play,” Shelton said. “We haven’t worked on it a long time but it’s a heck of a play.”

Shelton also noted how center fielder Bryan Reynolds made a throw to the cutoff man on Miguel Cabrera’s sacrifice fly in the sixth to keep Niko Goodrum on second base. And he pointed out the stellar play of rookie Ke’Bryan Hayes at third base, who robbed Derek Hill of a hit in the fifth and snagged a Schoop line drive to start the sixth.

“Ke’Bryan made two or three, one of them on the line drive one-hopper that everybody in the ballpark probably felt was a routine play,” Shelton said. “But to be able to move your feet like that, that’s not a routine play. There’s probably three or four guys on the planet who can do that.”

Roster moves

The Pirates bolstered a pitching staff ravaged by injuries by making a pair of moves.

With starter JT Brubaker and reliever Duane Underwood Jr. placed on the injured list Sunday – both with right shoulder inflammation – the Pirates recalled right-hander Cody Ponce from Triple-A Indianapolis.

Ponce is 0-3 with an 8.34 ERA in eight appearances, including two starts. The Pirates optioned infielder/outfielder Phillip Evans to Indianapolis to make room on the 28-man roster for Ponce.

The Pirates also claimed right-handed pitcher Connor Overton off waivers from the Toronto Blue Jays and optioned him to Triple-A Indianapolis.

Overton, 28, made his major-league debut Aug. 12, and had four scoreless appearances in 6 2/3 innings before being designated for assignment Sept. 3. Overton was 2-1 with a 2.03 ERA in 57 2/3 innings with Triple-A Buffalo, striking out 50 while allowing 10 walks in 21 appearances, including seven starts.

To make room for Overton on the 40-man roster, Underwood was transferred from the 10-day IL to the 60-day IL.