Western Pennsylvania's trusted news source
Backup catcher Andrew Knapp delivers as Pirates beat Nationals | TribLIVE.com
Pirates/MLB

Backup catcher Andrew Knapp delivers as Pirates beat Nationals

Kevin Gorman
4956847_web1_ptr-BucsNats02-041722
Christopher Horner | Tribune-Review
Pirates left fielder Jake Marisnick scores during the second inning against the Nationals on Saturday, April 16, 2022, at PNC Park.
4956847_web1_ptr-BucsNats01-041722
Christopher Horner | Tribune-Review
Pirates pitcher Bryse Wilson delivers during the first inning against the Nationals on Saturday, April 16, 2022, at PNC Park.
4956847_web1_ptr-BucsNats03-041722
Christopher Horner | Tribune-Review
Pirates shortstop Cole Tucker celebrates with first base coach Tarrik Brock after driving in a run during the second inning against the Nationals on Saturday, April 16, 2022, at PNC Park.
4956847_web1_ptr-BucsNats06-041722
Christopher Horner | Tribune-Review
The Nationals’ Alcides Escobar celebrates after driving in a run next to Pirates second baseman Diego Castillo during the second inning Saturday, April 16, 2022, at PNC Park.
4956847_web1_ptr-BucsNats04-041722
Christopher Horner | Tribune-Review
Pirates pitcher Bryse Wilson delivers during the first inning against the Nationals on Saturday, April 16, 2022, at PNC Park.
4956847_web1_ptr-BucsNats05-041722
Christopher Horner | Tribune-Review
Pirates left fielder Jake Marisnick scores during the second inning against the Nationals on Saturday, April 16, 2022, at PNC Park.
4956847_web1_ptr-BucsNats07-041722
Christopher Horner | Tribune-Review
Pirates pitcher Bryse Wilson fields a ball hit by the Nationals’ Juan Soto during the third inning Saturday, April 16, 2022, at PNC Park.

When the Pittsburgh Pirates were searching for a backup catcher before the season opener, they didn’t hesitate when Andrew Knapp became available because of his reputation behind the plate.

With starter Roberto Perez out with a quad contusion after taking a foul tip off his left leg Friday night, Knapp got the start at catcher and came through with his bat against the Washington Nationals.

Knapp delivered a second-inning double for his first RBI, then hit into an eighth-inning forceout that led to an error and two runs scoring as the Pirates pulled away for a 6-4 win Saturday night before 8,676 at PNC Park.

And there was a moment when Knapp looked like he wouldn’t survive the first inning. He was called for catcher’s interference in the first inning when Josh Bell’s swing hit his mitt and knocked it off Knapp’s hand. Pirates trainer Rafael Freitas checked on Knapp, who remained in the game.

“It made my heart flutter a little bit in the first,” Pirates manager Derek Shelton said. “I think he made (emergency catcher) Josh VanMeter’s heart flutter a ton. When you start to catch new guys, it’s a little bit of a challenge. He did a nice job going through it.”

The Pirates got some spectacular defensive plays from Ben Gamel, who made a pair of diving catches in right field, and third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes, who leaned over the home dugout railing to snag a Lane Thomas pop foul in the sixth.

The Nationals took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second when Maikel Franco singled to right off Bryse Wilson, advanced to second on a wild pitch and scored on an Alcides Escobar double to right.

The Pirates took a 2-1 lead when Jake Marisnick drew a walk and scored on a double by Knapp, who advanced on the throw. Knapp scored when Cole Tucker followed with a single up the middle.

After Lane Thomas doubled and Escobar and Victor Robles drew walks, Wilson worked out of the bases-loaded jam by getting Cesar Hernandez to ground out on a snag by second baseman Diego Castillo.

That’s when Juan Soto crushed a 2-2 changeup, driving his 101st career home run 382 feet through an exit tunnel in the right-field seats and into the Allegheny River to tie the score 2-2 in the top of the fifth. It was the 64th time a ball has landed in the Allegheny in PNC Park history, and Soto became the 43rd player to send one in.

“It’ll be cool to know if he actually meant to do that or not,” Wilson said with a laugh.

The lead didn’t last long.

The Pirates hit three consecutive one-out singles, with Hayes scoring on a liner to right by Michael Chavis for a 3-2 lead.

Chavis (3 for 4) struck again in the eighth, speeding around the bases for a leadoff triple that Shelton said set the tone for the inning. Chavis scored on Castillo’s single through short to stretch the lead to 4-2 and his first major-league RBI.

Marisnick singled to right to load the bases, and Knapp hit a grounder to Franco at third. Castillo froze, forcing Franco to throw to second and force out Marisnick, who broke up the double-play ball and caused second baseman Cesar Hernandez to make an errant throw to first, allowing Yoshi Tsutsugo and Castillo to score for a 6-2 lead.

Those runs became necessary when the Nationals scored twice off Chris Stratton in the ninth.

The rally started with a Hernandez single and a Soto double before Bell singled to third to score Hernandez and cut it to 6-3. Keibert Ruiz grounded into a forceout at second, scoring Soto to make it 6-4 before Stratton got Franco to fly out to right to end it.

Kevin Gorman is a TribLive reporter covering the Pirates. A Baldwin native and Penn State graduate, he joined the Trib in 1999 and has covered high school sports, Pitt football and basketball and was a sports columnist for 10 years. He can be reached at kgorman@triblive.com.

Remove the ads from your TribLIVE reading experience but still support the journalists who create the content with TribLIVE Ad-Free.

Get Ad-Free >

Categories: Pirates/MLB | Sports
";