Crowe cracks in emergency
Pirates lose top two catchers to injury, ejection
CINCINNATI — The Pirateson Saturday added injury to insult and came up with a painful loss. One that stung in the moment, sure, but also a defeat that could carry bigger-picture implications.
A couple of days after the Penguins had their own emergency backup situation with Louis Domingue taking over for Casey DeSmith, the Pirates essentially told the hockey club to hold its spicy pork and broccoli during the first game of a doubleheader atGreat American Ball Park.
During what would become a 9-2 Pirates loss to the Reds, a crazy, calamitous scenario unfolded that had Josh VanMeter, who hadn’t donned catcher’s gear since his teenage years, squatting behind home plate in the eighthinning of a tie game, as this one spiraled out of control.
After starting catcher Roberto Perez hurt his left hamstring running the bases and backup Andrew Knapp was ejected, Wil Crowe struggled while throwing to VanMeter, and the Reds capitalized with a seven-run eighth inning to turn this one intoa rout.
“I feel terrible,” said Knapp, who was tossed for arguing a Colin Moran check swing in the bottom of the sixth. “Shouldn’t happen. I feel bad for the guys who came into the game to pitch. I feel bad for Josh, the whole team. It falls on me to be smarter than that. There’s reallyno excuse.”
There might not be an
excuse, but there’s plenty of concern over Perez, who was spotted postgame in the Pirates clubhouse walking extremely gingerly on his left leg, using a crutch to get aroundand riding a cart to be furtherevaluated.
Signedthis offseason for $5 million, Perez has been a valuable asset for the pitching staff and a workhorse behind the plate. Among National League catchers, only five had caught more than Perez’s 152 innings coming into Saturday’s doubleheader. His two hits against the Reds gave him five in his past14 at-bats.
Alsopainful for the Pirates in this one was what transpired immediately after Perez exited in the top of the eighth. The Pirates loaded the bases with nobody out and failed to score, as Ke’Bryan Hayes, Daniel Vogelbach and Michael Chavisall struck out.
“We need to have better atbats in that situation,” manager Derek Shelton said. “We had a chance to break the game open, and we didn’t do
that.”
The Perez injury was ugly from the start. He lost his balance a step before second base, and his left leg extended in an awkward way, causing himto crumple to the dirt.
Umpires immediately called for help. Perez was ultimately helped off the field, unable to put any weight on hisleft leg.
“He went down pretty good. It was tough,” Shelton said.
VanMeter has been the Pirates’ emergency backup this season and did some work back home a few weeks ago with third-base coach Mike Rabelo. But nobody anticipatedthis playing out.
VanMeter guessed that the last time he caught in a game was around the age of 14. The first thing that went through his head when he saw Perez go down? “Pure panic.”He borrowed Knapp’s equipment and Perez’s glove. He put on a cup. Reds catcher Tyler Stephenson later joked that he should remember the whole experience during arbitration.
“It happened really fast,” VanMeter said. “Pitchers did a really good job working with me. Didn’t bounce too many balls, which made it easy.Sucks that we lost and it unfolded that way, but it’s partof the gig.”
The effort from VanMeter was admirable. He did not look terribly out of place, and the game didn’t turn into a circus or anything like that. But the strange amalgamation of events certainly tilted the game in Cincinnati’s favor.
After a hit batter and two walks to start the eighth, Stephenson doubled into the right-field corner past a diving Ben Gamel, scoring two runs and opening the floodgates.
Crowelooked as dominant as he has all year in the sixth and seventh with Perez behind the plate, but he seemed tentative once VanMeter entered.
“It really sucks that it shook out that way because Wil is really good,” VanMeter said. “We couldn’t geton the same page.”
“It’s human nature,” Shelton added. “You have a guy back there who hasn’t caught since he was a teenager. I think Wil tried to be perfect. When you try to be perfect, it gets you behind.”
A sacrifice fly stretched the Reds’ lead to 5-2. Right fielder Tyler Naquin cleared the bases with a three-run double. Second baseman Brandon Drury scored another with a double for good measure, though none of it mattered.
The outcome was sealed with Stephenson’s double and an unlikely scenario unfolding for the same town in lessthan a week.