Francisco Cervelli can accomplish his best work when standing in front of a grill. That's where the Pirates' 32-year-old catcher found himself on Labor Day, cooking homemade arepas after one of his pitchers called asking for help.
Joe Musgrove, scheduled to make his 17th start of the season less than 24 hours later, had lost power at his apartment and Cervelli insisted he spend the night. After the Venezuelan cuisine was prepared, Musgrove sat with his teammate and explained how he didn't feel well during his last two starts.
Cervelli, following advice he received during his 16 years of professional ball, kept quiet and listened. He then imparted some delicate words of wisdom that Musgrove used to craft one of his finest starts to date. With the Pirates' first series victory in nearly a month on the line, Musgrove struck out eight with no walks in a 7-3 win over the Reds Thursday night, in front of 8,855 fans — the smallest crowd at PNC Park this season.
It wasn't the result Musgrove expected. He was late to warm up on the mound because he lost track of time pumping pitch after pitch in the bullpen to try to find that elusive feeling. The 25-year-old starter then warned Cervelli during the walk to the dugout, only for the veteran to offer the same sales pitch he's used to guide this pitching staff during its late-summer blossom.
“That it’s good today," Cervelli said of his message to Musgrove. "He’s got a lot of power. I cannot tell a pitcher that they don’t have something. You have to sell the best car you have. You cannot sell the cheapest one. If they go to the mound with that mentality, they don’t have it. The hitter’s the enemy and themselves. You have to make them believe that, no matter what, they are good that night.”
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