Yorke records 1st MLB hit ... and Nos. 2 and 3 quickly follow

ST. LOUIS -- It didn’t take Nick Yorke much time to get comfortable in the big leagues.

Yorke, playing in just his second Major League game on Tuesday night, got his first hit in the fifth inning. He then followed with hits No. 2 and No. 3 before his night was over.

Even though the Pirates lost 3-1 to the Cardinals, it was a game to remember for Yorke.

“It feels good,” Yorke said. “My pitch selection was a little bit better today, so I want to keep that going.”

Yorke’s first hit came on an 86.4 mph cutter from Lance Lynn, which he lined into center field. Yorke took hit No. 2 the other way, lining a Ryan Fernandez offering into right field. He capped his night with a single off of Cardinals All-Star closer Ryan Helsley.

Yorke gave credit for the hit off Helsley to Rowdy Tellez and Nick Gonzales for giving him a scouting report. Still, getting a knock off Helsley provides a confidence boost.

“It does a lot,” Yorke said. “At the end of the day, whoever it is on the mound, I'm going to do my best to try to get a base hit, find a barrel.”

Yorke, currently rated as Pittsburgh’s No. 6 prospect according to MLB Pipeline, was called up Monday from Triple-A Indianapolis.

Pirates manager Derek Shelton said Yorke has put together quality at-bats in his short time with the team.

“Helsley is one of the best relievers in the game, one of the best closers in the game, and he had a really, really good at-bat off him,” Shelton said.

Yorke also shined defensively, making a clean pick of a grounder by Thomas Saggese with the infield in and a runner on third to help Bailey Falter pitch around a leadoff double in the second.

“You go through your first game, there's so many emotions, and then all of a sudden you get that first hit, you relax a little bit,” Shelton said. “But, I mean, overall, in the first two games, there's been good at-bats. It's just, you get that first hit, and you kind of breathe a little bit. And then we saw two really good swings after that.”

The three-hit game following the callup to the big leagues is the culmination of a whirlwind season for Yorke that started in Double-A in the Red Sox's organization. He was promoted to Triple-A by Boston, before being acquired by Pittsburgh on July 29.

“Everyone's got the talent, everyone's got the skills, so you just got to play with confidence,” Yorke said. “And, you know, whether you go 0-for-4 or 4-for-4, you just got to show up the same way every day.”

The Pirates had a chance to rally in the eighth after Gonzales led off with a double and moved to third with no outs on Bryan Reynolds' single. But Matthew Liberatore got Joey Bart to fly out to shallow left field, struck out Andrew McCutchen and got Isiah Kiner-Falefa to ground out to second to keep the game at 2-1.

“Tonight, we had a couple opportunities late, weren't able to capitalize on it, but we need to figure out a way to, you know, get that hit or make that pitch,” Shelton said.

The Cardinals added a run in the bottom of the eighth on a Nolan Arenado sacrifice fly.

Falter allowed two runs on four hits in 5 2/3 innings. He struck out three and walked two.

Falter pitched around trouble in the first and second innings, but couldn’t do the same in the third after Michael Siani’s leadoff double. Siani scored on a Luken Baker triple to tie the game at 1-all.

“He got himself out of jams in a couple innings by being able to put the ball on the ground,” Shelton said. “We turned some double plays. We did a nice job. I think that shows his evolution as a starter.”

Bryan De La Cruz gave the Pirates a 1-0 lead in the second with a solo homer.

Yorke became the first Pirate to collect his first hit at Busch Stadium since Canaan Smith-Njigba in 2022.

Yorke’s hits came with about 10 family and friends in attendance from California, including his mom and brothers. He said mom is getting the ball from his first hit.

“It means a lot,” Yorke said. “Especially to do it in front of the family.”