Pirates starting catcher Roberto Pérez was helped off the field with a left hamstring injury after falling while rounding second base in the top of the eighth. Backup catcher Andrew Knapp had been ejected by plate umpire Will Little in the bottom of the sixth for chirping from the dugout. That left VanMeter as the Pirates’ next best option at the plate — recently, the second baseman/outfielder recalled the last time he caught was when he was 14 or 15 years old. Stephenson, the Cincinnati catcher, and VanMeter shared a few words in the interim. Saturday’s doubleheader was the second in four days for the Pirates, who split a twinbill in Detroit on Wednesday.

Source: The Star May 07, 2022 21:11 UTC