Josh Palacios collects 1st hit with Pirates in key moment, sparking offensive outburst

Following the (totally appropriate) flair surrounding Drew Maggi’s MLB debut and first big-league hit at the end of April, little opportunity exists for any Pittsburgh Pirates player to exceed that level of hype with a milestone or accomplishment of their own.

The one exception in that regard is Andrew McCutchen, who is destined to feel the love and then some from Pirates fans and observers of baseball in general, seeing as he is 17 hits away from No. 2,000 in his career, three doubles shy of 400 and six home runs south of 300 in his ongoing 15-year career.

McCutchen reaching any or all of those accolades is sure to result in plenty of celebration.

Thus, when compared to the journey Maggi took before making his Major League debut or the commemoration in store for McCutchen, the Friday night accomplishment of Pirates outfielder Josh Palacios — collecting his first hit in Pittsburgh — feels cut of a slightly different cloth.

But that didn’t make the moment any less sweet for him.

“That was definitely a lot of fun,” he said after the Pirates beat Arizona, 13-3. “It was a great experience, first time getting to experience my first win in Pittsburgh, so that was pretty sick.”

Palacios, 27, came to the plate in the bottom of the fourth inning with one out and men on second and third.

Facing Diamondbacks ace Zac Gallen, Palacios singled through the infield to plate Tucupita Marcano, who had walked, and Ji Hwan Bae, who advanced Marcano to third with a double.

Palacios’ hit was his first with the Pirates since his contract was selected from Triple-A Indianapolis May 9.

¡El primer hit de Josh Palacios como jugador de #LosPiratas impulsa 2 carreras! ???? #VamosBucs pic.twitter.com/CKhfkTEz8l

— Los Piratas (@piratasbeisbol) May 20, 2023

The two-run single sparked an offensive outburst that led to seven runs scored in the inning, with Gallen exiting the game after just 3 ⅔ innings pitched, in what had become arguably his worst start of the season.

Winners of two straight games for the first time since the end of April, the Pirates have beaten up on front-of-the-rotation starters in back-to-back games.

On Wednesday, the Pirates scored four runs in five innings against Detroit starter Eduardo Rodriguez, who entered the game with a 4-2 record and 1.57 ERA.

With the Diamondbacks in town for two more games, followed by the AL West-leading Texas Rangers, challenging matchups await the Pirates on the immediate horizon.

But showing some signs of offensive ability after an extended slump is providing the club with a spark.

“I think it gives us a lot of confidence,” Palacios said. “We had some ups, we had some downs, we had a little bit of an offensive drought for a little while, but it just reminds the guys we have a lot of hitters. We can hit, and if we stick to our guns and stick to our process, we’ll be all right.”

Palacios had 42 career major-league games under his belt with Toronto and Washington over the last two seasons, recording his first MLB hit in 2021.

Palacios’ first Pirates hit came in his 11th at-bat with the club.

Over a week ago, his third at-bat came in a high-stakes setting.

The Pirates trailed Colorado, 4-3, with two outs and men on second and third in the bottom of the ninth inning.

Manager Derek Shelton tasked Palacios to pinch-hit for Austin Hedges, but facing Rockies reliever Pierce Johnson, he went down swinging to end the game.

While Friday’s situation in the fourth inning was undoubtedly less do-or-die in nature, Palacios felt he learned from his shortcoming against Colorado.

“(I was) just trying to take it pitch by pitch this time,” he said. “The time against the Rockies, I got a little too excited, tried to do too much and the team just needed me to get on base. So in this scenario, the first at-bat, I was like, ‘Hey, I’m just gonna have a good at-bat, hit the ball hard if the pitch is there, and if not, I’ll take my walk.”

Palacios got the job done and went on to collect two more hits and a walk, finishing the night 3 for 4 with three RBIs and a run scored.

Having produced his first hit with his new club, a bit of weight lifted off Palacios’ shoulders.

“It definitely helps, it’s the first (hit) with Pittsburgh, so it’s always nice to get that first out of the way,” he said. “It took a little bit of time, but got the first out of the way.”