The Pirates seem to be finding a bit of an identity in the very early stages of the season.
Pittsburgh racked up 14 hits, including four by Daniel Vogelbach, to rough up Washington 9-4 at PNC Park Thursday night.
Vogelbach finished the goal a triple shy of the cycle, igniting a Pirates comeback effort with a solo home run in the bottom of the first inning after the Bucs fell behind 3-0 out of the gates.
"Some nights you get pitches to hit, some nights you don't get pitches to hit," he said. "Tonight I got some pitches to hit, was able to put some good swings on it. But, more importantly, we came out with a win. And that's what it's all about."
"It would've been magical if he would've hit for the cycle," Pirates manager Derek Shelton joked of the 6-foot, 250 pound designated hitter.
Vogelbach has played a unique role. He has clear power, but also has Beene getting on base at a high rate. In the last two games, he has been on base in six of his ten plate appearances.
"My job, as a DH, is to hit," Vogelbach added. "It's what I'm here for is to hit and get on base for the guys behind me, and just try to do it every single night."
The offensive effort looked like it would be needed due to more early struggles from Pirates starter JT Brubaker, who allowed the first inning runs after walking the bases loaded before back-to-back singles by Keibert Ruiz and Yadiel Hernandez.
But Brubaker settled down after the first, allowing just three of the next 15 batter to reach base before being lifted in the fifth inning.
"A challenging first to walk the bases loaded, and then we misplayed a ball in right (on Ruiz's hit)," Shelton said. "He could've gone off the rails, and he didn't."
Once Brubaker came out, Anthony Banda got into some trouble, but finessed out of the jam. Roansy Contreras, the Pirates' top pitching prospect, then took the mound, and was nothing short of incredible.
Contreras sat down six consecutive batter and ended up allowing only two base runners in three innings, striking out five to earn his first win in the big leagues.
"It was very exciting, very emotional as well," he said, through an interpreter. "To be able to be a part of the victory that we brought to this team is something I can't describe right now."
"Couldn't be happier for the guy, that's awesome," Brubaker added. "He goes out there, out of the pen, and dominates his innings. It's unbelievable. It was really fun to watch. It was electric stuff."
Contreras will have more wins. He is projected to be a starter, but is being utilized in a relief role now to conserve his innings as a rookie.
After the game, according to the 22-year-old from the Dominican Republic, his teammates doused him with beer, shaving cream, even ketchup, to celebrate the first victory.
"When you have a lot of young players that come to the big leagues, you have a lot of firsts and check off boxes," Shelton said. "For us to continue to grow and develop, we have to check off boxes. But for (Contreras) to do that, and the way he did it today, it was pretty cool for him."
Bryan Reynolds, just hours after signing a new, two-year contract with the Pirates, homered and reached base four times. Cole Tucker had three hits, including a screaming triple off the center field fence. Every starter, aside from Hoy Park, reached base multiple times in the game.
"Good all around team win," Shelton said. "We battled back from where we were at. We had some challenges early, but I thought we responded really well."
The Pirates are now 3-3 on the year. There are still a good many baseball games to be played. But, coming off the heels of Ke'Bryan Hayes' record contract extension, and Bryan Reynolds' new deal signed Thursday, there is a certain buzz right now within the walls of the PNC Park clubhouse.
"It's easy to keep positive and have energy with this group," Vogelbach said. "It seems like everybody is here to win. It's a really energetic and competitive group."
