It’s Another Day at Work for Osik

Backup catcher Keith Osik has good work habits, even though the Pittsburgh Pirates don’t have a lot of work for him.

Osik’s pinch-hit, two-run triple highlighted a five-run rally in the seventh inning that gave the Pirates an 8-4 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Sunday.

Osik backs up Jason Kendall, who doesn’t take many days off. Osik has gotten only five starts in Pittsburgh’s first 61 games, and he doesn’t get a lot of pinch-hitting chances because he’s the Pirates’ only other catcher. So he waits for opportunities like the one he got against the Royals.

“I stay ready,” Osik said. “I take pride in that. I come in and lift weights and I hit in the cage inside all during the game. When they call on me, I’m ready.”

Light-hitting shortstop Mike Benjamin drove in three runs and hit his first homer of the season for the Pirates, who won two of three games in the series.

Royal starter Jay Witasick took a 4-2 lead into the seventh but left after yielding singles to Kendall and Warren Morris. Matt Whisenant walked Adrian Brown and Benjamin doubled home two runs to tie the score.

After Benjamin’s Scott Service replaced Witasick and gave up the triple to Osik, his fourth hit in 11 pinch-hit appearances this season. Ed Sprague’s sacrifice fly then scored Osik.

Why Osik in that situation?

“I felt like he was the best hitter on the bench at that time,” Manager Gene Lamont said. “He gives you quality at-bats almost every time he’s up there.”

Even if he’s not up that often. In three major league seasons, Osik hasn’t had more than 140 at-bats.

“I look at it as a challenge,” he said. “I want to be up there with the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth, those type of situations. I want to be known as a player who comes through in those situations.”

The five-run rally made a winner of starter Jason Schmidt (6-4). He yielded six hits and four runs in seven innings, with eight strikeouts and three walks.

Schmidt had won just one of his previous five starts. He said he made an adjustment in his fastball grip and was pleased with the results.

“I feel like I learned something out there today,” Schmidt said.