ANAHEIM, Calif. — Having gone through the minor leagues with the notion of being a defense-first catcher, Cardinals rookie Pedro Pages acknowledges where most of his strengths as a ballplayer come from and what they include.
“Just everything. Receiving, blocking, throwing — just taking pride back there (behind the plate),” Pages said. “Working with my pitcher. Making them look better. Making them execute pitches better. Just giving them confidence out there.”
So when the 25-year-old displayed his defense and connected on a three-run double that gave him his first career hit during the Cardinals’ 7-6 road win over the Angels on Tuesday night, the contributions at and behind the plate created a night with “a lot of emotions” for the rookie.
“It means a lot,” Pages said. “That’s what I want to do. ... I got to show it a little today with some of the blocks and, obviously, coming around with the bat today with that hit.”
After forming a battery with Cardinals ace Sonny Gray during his first career start at catcher on May 9, Pages caught the right-hander on Tuesday at Angel Stadium.
Gray and Pages worked together to keep the Angels scoreless through the first two innings as the Cardinals pushed across runs in the second and third innings. Pages contributed to the early offense in the third when he pulled a 2-2 curveball from Reid Detmers down the left field for a bases-clearing double that gave the Cardinals a 5-0 lead and the rookie his first hit and first three RBIs in the majors.
“Every day since I started playing baseball, I wanted to be a big leaguer, and now I’m officially in the books with that hit,” Pages said. “... I’m super-happy at this moment. Trying to take it in. I have to call my dad, obviously, to talk about it with him.”
When Gray and Pages worked through traffic in the sixth inning, Pages provided blocks on breaking balls in the dirt that prevented possible movement on the base paths. The first came on a 1-2 sweeper in the dirt from Gray that held runners at first and second with one out in the frame during an at-bat against Cole Tucker. On the next pitch, Gray got a swinging strikeout from Tucker for the inning’s second out.
An at-bat later against right-handed-hitting Kyren Paris, Pages prevented potential advancement on the bases after he blocked a 1-1 sweeper from Gray that broke into the lefty’s batter’s box. Following a walk to Paris, Gray escaped damage and kept the ballgame tied 5-5 with a swinging strikeout of Nolan Schanuel on a low sweeper that Pages blocked with his catcher’s mitt.
“Pages did an incredible job,” Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said. “I mean the base hit ... the double there was fun to see. The dugout loved that one. But navigating that lineup (and) the different arms we used today. He blocked a ton and (had) some really tough ones too in key moments. But he did an absolutely phenomenal job tonight.”
When command evaded JoJo Romero during his relief appearance in the eighth inning, Pages’ “maturity” helped the left-hander escape trouble.
Romero, who entered Tuesday with a 1.33 ERA and 13 holds in his first 19 games of the season, missed the strike zone with 13 of his first 24 pitches to begin the inning. Romero allowed a one-out double to Zach Neto and surrendered back-to-back walks — one of which came on an automatic ball four because of a pitcher timer violation assessed to the lefty — to set up a bases-loaded situation vs. Luis Guillorme as the Cardinals held on to a one-run lead.
With the count 1-1, the Angels attempted a squeeze play that had Neto break from third base to home plate, and Guillorme squared to bunt. Guillorme’s attempt to bunt on a slider from Romero that missed strike zone led to a failed squeeze attempt that ended with Pages tagging out Neto for the inning’s second out.
“I understand why they did it,” Pages said. “I get it because JoJo is very good out there, so they’re trying to sneak in a run. I was confused at the moment, too. When I saw that runner coming home, I was like, ‘Why is he running at me?’ I was just like, ‘Alright let me just tag him and throw the ball to third.’ So I just made the play work. It was kind of a sneaky play from them, but it ended up working out for us.”
Working with runners on the corners and two outs against left-handed hitter Guillorme, Romero ended the seven-pitch at-bat and the inning with a swinging strikeout on a slider that broke across the zone and was blocked by Pages.
“There are a lot of different ways where a lot of things could have sped up. Not just from my end being out there but (with) him. He’s calling pitches,” Romero said of Pages. “He’s having to read their swings, read what they’re trying to do. It’s just taking the time to really just slow things down, and that’s a big maturity thing.”
Pages’ current stint in the majors is his third of 2024. He was recalled on May 8 after starter Willson Contreras suffered a fractured left arm against the Mets. The frequent movement has come with “a lot of emotions” for Pages. Included in that shuffle is an understanding of where he can contribute as the backup to fellow rookie Ivan Herrera.
“Obviously, you want to be up here to help this team win, but I understand my role,” Pages said. “Now I’m here for a little bit, especially with the injury to Willie. It’s just doing everything I can to help this team win. That’s all that matters.”
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