ST. LOUIS — Leave it to the Pirates to generate one of the highlights of the 2020 Major League Baseball Season thus far.
One, of course, that had zero to do with playing baseball well or anything like that.
It actually involved one of their players — left-handed pitcher Derek Holland — yelling at an umpire from the stands, and manager Derek Shelton trying to maintain social distance throughout a heated exchange.
The video of Shelton jawing with home-plate umpire Jordan Baker went viral, and even Shelton laughed about it after the Pirates topped the Cardinals, 5-1, at Busch Stadium on Sunday for his first managerial win.
“I think it was the first time when we both were in an unknown area,” Shelton said. “When I went out there later, we kind of got a chuckle out of it that it was the first time, just making sure we stayed away from each other.”
The whole thing had been brewing for a couple days, as there were some questionable calls that went against both teams. But a called strike on Jarrod Dyson in the top of the third inning had both the center fielder and the Pirates dugout hot.
It seems the pitchers who had migrated to the stands — underneath green tents that have been set up to promote social distancing — were even more upset, as Baker warned Holland at one point to zip it.
Eventually, with one out in the bottom of the fourth inning and Holland still chirping, Baker said that was enough. An inning later, the Pirates offense sprung to life.
“I think after the Greg Holland toss,” Phillip Evans said, intentionally using the wrong first name, “it really fired the boys up.”
After the ejection, Shelton pulled his mask up over his face and came out to talk to Baker. Baker whipped a mask out, too, although it eventually broke. They legitimately tried to maintain 6 feet of distance before crew chief Jerry Meals cut in, and the whole thing eventually broke up.
“Yeah, I think Jordan did a really good job with it,” Shelton said. “We were trying to stay distanced, which we both were aware of. Then his mask broke midway through it, so I wanted to make sure that my mask stayed up.
“It’s one of those things where he made the decision that he made, and it happened. Then we tried to socially distance and have a conversation.”
More on Brubaker
JT Brubaker has pretty much always been a starter, but if he pitches like he did on Sunday, he may earn himself a regular bullpen role.
Making his MLB debut, Brubaker was terrific. His slider was especially good, as he worked two scoreless innings and struck out four.
Brubaker said he was part of the initial celebration with Shelton earning his first win, but he was more than happy to cede the spotlight to his manager.
“It was unbelievable to just be a part of that,” Brubaker said. “I was able to take a step back, out of the moment I was in, and be able to see what it meant to him. It was unbelievable to watch him get his first win as a big league manager.”
Normally shy and reserved, Brubaker was fairly introspective on his first MLB game. He said it only truly hit him when he hit the infield dirt, then his mind started racing to several significant moments throughout his career.
From there, Brubaker zeroed in on the Cardinals hitters he would be facing — the top of their lineup and a group of guys who give the Pirates problems the previous two nights. Talk about a tough assignment.
“It was very enjoyable,” Brubaker said. “Didn’t really hit me until I set foot on the infield dirt. As soon as I did, it hit me: the adrenaline, the nerves, the excitement, everything that I envisioned growing up through high school, college, then even through the minors.
“It was everything I’ve envisioned, even without the fans.”
Hitting notes
Another development to come out of Sunday’s game might be what happens with Jose Osuna, who certainly made his bid for more playing time with three hits, a home run and four RBIs in the series.
Guillermo Heredia and Cole Tucker contributed nothing at the plate while starting in right field the first two games. Until Gregory Polanco gets back, the Pirates could do much worse than Osuna.
“It feels better,” Osuna said. “I’m still making adjustments. I had a good day, feel great, so I just have to keep working to try and help the team win more games."
Meanwhile, Bryan Reynolds has endured a tough start; an 0-for-3 day dropped him to 0-for-10 in the series.
Colin Moran continues to thrive at Busch Stadium. He stretched his hitting streak to 11 games here, during which he’s hitting .342 (25-for-73) with four doubles, three home runs and nine RBIs.
Burdi the closer
Nick Burdi was nothing short of outstanding Sunday — striking out the side, showcasing a nasty slider and touching 99 mph on the radar gun — though Shelton was not at all ready to anoint him the closer until Kela returns.
“I'm thinking he's got really good stuff, and I'm excited that he's continuing to pitch for us and he's healthy,” Shelton said. “I’m very happy with that.”
Jason Mackey: jmackey@post-gazette.com and Twitter @JMackeyPG.
First Published: July 26, 2020, 7:27 p.m.
