SAN DIEGO — The proverb “necessity is the mother of invention” was first noted in a Benjamin Jowett’s translation of Plato’s Republic about 16 years before the Pittsburgh Alleghenys became the Pirates in 1887.
Neither Jowett nor Plato was likely thinking about baseball back then. But nearly 150 years later on a beautiful Saturday in Southern California, the adage may as well have been written for Pirates manager Clint Hurdle.
Being without starting pitchers Jameson Taillon and Trevor Williams forced Hurdle and his staff to get innovative in the Pirates’ 7-2 win Saturday at Petco Park. Thus comes the first time the Pirates used an “opener” — who went two innings — as opposed to a traditional starter.
Montana DuRapau ended up being the ideal choice. In his fifth big-league appearance and first career start, he pitched scoreless frames in the first and second innings.
“It was really good for us at the ballpark for us,” Hurdle said. “A lot of guys contributed. That was the first time Montana had done something like that. I think he was feeling it. He seemed to enjoy it.”
DuRapau walked Franmil Reyes with one out in the first inning. He ended the inning by striking out Manny Machado and inducing an Eric Hosmer groundout. Montana threw 20 pitches in the first, which led to Hurdle calling down to the bullpen for Steven Brault to warm up. There was a possibility that DuRapau’s night was going to end after one inning.
“We asked a lot out of Brault. We had him get up one time with Montana throwing 20 pitches,” Hurdle said. “Then if Montana’s spot comes up in the bottom out of the inning, it could’ve been bases loaded and two outs. You don’t want Montana to hit there and you don’t want to use a position player so we had to get Brault ready for a possible at-bat.”
Innovation goes easier when Josh Bell is hitting. Bell hit a majestic 429.9-foot home run over the center-field wall off an 80-mph slider from Padres starter Nick Margevicius in the second.
“I saw slider middle-away. I kind of saw it out that way and I was able the barrel to it,” Bell said.
Bryan Reynolds followed him with his own homer, the first time the Pirates hit back-to-back home runs since Sept. 30, 2018, against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ballpark.
“Back-to-back homers are a welcome sight in any clubhouse,” Hurdle said. “He got his swing off tonight and took a couple walks to go along with it. He continues to play well and is a fun kid to watch.”
Sometimes necessity doesn’t work out. At least not for Margevicius. Bell’s first home run off the slider probably should’ve made Margevicius reconsider the pitch or at least be sure he placed it correctly the next time. Instead, Bell hit a 379-foot home run to right field. Bell’s third-inning home run drove in Adam Frazier and Starling Marte to give the Pirates a five-run lead.
“I think he was trying to work more and more in with it,” Bell said. “I was able to still get it lifted and it was able to travel.”
Josh Bell is no stranger to multi-homer games, recording his second dinger tonight in the fourth inning 😳
— SI MLB (@si_mlb) May 19, 2019
(via @MLB) pic.twitter.com/2YLwsVNLGz
Bell hit his 13th and 14th home runs of the season in the Pirates 43rd game. The first baseman had his third multiple home run game in the last two weeks on Saturday. Bell had 12 home runs last season and has never posted a multiple-homer game until this season.
“It means that I’m in a good place,” Bell said. “I’m happy to turn the page on last year and live in this chapter.”
One of the reasons the Pirates went to the opener was because Nick Kingham and Brault struggled as starters. Brault, a San Diego-area native, had a chance to redeem himself in his town and with a five-run lead.
Brault walked Ian Kinsler and Reyes with one out in the third. Machado hit a ball that went under Frazier’s glove at second base. The official scorer credited Machado with a single, which increased his hit streak to 11 games. However, while the ball was hit sharply, Frazier probably should’ve made the play. The single drove in Kinsler, and Brault walked Hosmer to load the bases. Hunter Renfroe hit into a double play to end the inning.
“He needed to get through there. This is an opportunity for Steven to get involved and pitch,” Hurdle said. “Command was challenging for him last year. We continued to talk to him about in winter and in spring training. It’s an area where he is continuing to work to find more consistency.”
Gregory Polanco hit his fourth home run of the season in the fifth inning to give the Pirates a 6-1 lead. Brault pitched a scoreless bottom half of the fifth.
“My first inning was a nightmare, but we got through it,” Brault said. “There was a lot of emotion. That first inning was one of those ‘this has been my year so far’ and I’m not giving up. I’m going to keep working through it. I truly believe that we’re going to get through it, I’m only 16 or 19 innings I’m not giving up on myself.”
Michael Feliz came in the sixth with one out after Brault gave up a run. Feliz got the final two outs.
Feliz started the seventh and left with two outs after giving up a single to Hosmer that moved Kinsler to second. Kyle Crick struck out Renfroe.
Francisco Liriano pitched the eighth, and Geoff Hartlieb a 1-2-3 ninth in his big league debut to preserve the win.
Brault was credited with the victory. The Pirates (23-20) look to take the series Sunday when Joe Musgrove takes the mound.
Nubyjas Wilborn: nwilborn@post-gazette.com and Twitter @nwilborn19.
First Published: May 19, 2019, 4:33 a.m.
