PHOENIX -- When Henry Davis isn’t behind the plate, he’s usually talking through the game with pitching coaches Oscar Marin and Brent Strom.
What pitches are coming out of the hand well? What sequences are working? What pitches are getting outs? He might not be in the game, but he needs to stay prepared in case his number gets called.
On Tuesday night, that preparedness paid dividends. Starting catcher Joey Bart exited in the fifth inning after catching a backswing to the head. Davis provided a spark, launching a 432-foot home run in his first at-bat and jump-starting a seven-run rally in the eighth inning with a double.
Behind Davis and a four-hit night from Bryan Reynolds, the Pirates were able to complete their biggest comeback of the season, erasing a six-run deficit to beat the Diamondbacks, 9-6, at Chase Field.
“They came through big time,” manager Don Kelly said of the offense picking up the pitching for a change. “Just really great for them, great to see and a great team win.”
Reliever Joey Wentz’s night on the mound got off to a shaky start after all three runners he inherited from starter Mike Burrows scored as part of a five-run fourth inning that gave the Diamondbacks a six-run edge.
After that stumble out of the gate, however, Wentz tossed 3 2/3 innings to save the bullpen and start a stretch of 17 straight batters retired by Pirates pitchers.
Wentz is a former starter, but he hadn’t been asked to go four ups since moving to the bullpen. It’s a situation where most times, the team is just looking for length to help save the bullpen for the next day. On Tuesday, it ended up being the start of a momentum shift.
"It's the job. It's the job to pitch,” Wentz said. “Until you're told that you're out, you're in. … Really happy with my individual performance, but really proud to be a part of the game tonight.”
Davis’ home run in the sixth was both the longest and hardest-hit (109.6 mph) of his career. The fact it was to the center of the field is a positive sign after much of his hard contact so far has been pulled, often foul.
Davis followed that with a double in the eighth before Isiah Kiner-Falefa tied the game, 6-6, with a bases-clearing double. Reynolds capped the rally by launching a three-run homer off of Jalen Beeks to put the Pirates out in front.
The Pirates’ offense has struggled this year, and the best way to help turn that around is getting more contributions from players like Reynolds and Davis, high-ceiling hitters who got off to slow starts. Reynolds has started to heat up, hitting .361 (13-for-36) with two home runs, three doubles and 10 RBIs over his last 10 games.
“He’s been swinging the bat well, BP has been really good,” Kelly said. “He’s catching the ball out in front again, which is really nice to see. He’s doing things he does well.”
The same can be said for Davis, who is 6-for-15 (.400) with three walks over his last six games, all while flashing some leather behind the plate and playing with visibly more confidence.
“I believe in myself a lot,” Davis said. “Just knowing that if you are who you say you are, it's going to show, no matter what. Just continuing to have that same mindset and keep confident."
On Tuesday, the two were able to help create and cash in on some key situations to pull off the Pirates’ first comeback win after trailing through seven innings (0-29 previously).
“That's just a testament to continue grinding,” Davis said. “‘We keep talking, continue to hit the ball, eventually it's going to fall.’”
On Tuesday, it did.