Bradenton's Mike Suchy comes up big for Pittsburgh Pirates with home run

PORT CHARLOTTE- Michael Suchy was sleeping at Pirates City when he got a text at 5:30 a.m. asking him if he wanted to make the trip to Port Charlotte with the Pittsburgh Pirates who were playing the Tampa Bay Rays.

Suchy, who signed with the Pirates out of Southeast High in 2014, had only one at-bat in a spring training game (last year) and wasn't going to turn down the opportunity.

"I had no idea I was going to play. They just told me to prepare myself in case anything came up," Suchy said.

The 22 year-old outfielder made the most out of his trip. In his only at-bat he hit a solo homer over the left field wall on a 1-1 pitch against Adam Wilk in the eighth inning.

"It was a cutter inside.I was just trying to get the barrel on the ball," Suchy said. "When I hit it I was just hoping it would stay fair. When I saw that it was I was very happy.

One of the first to congratulate Suchy was Pirates manager Clint Hurdle, who shook his hand and later said he was just as excited for Suchy and his parents as they probably were.

Suchy doesn't know if he will play in another big league game this spring and tried to downplay his emotions.

"It was pretty business like. I am just happy to be with Pittsburgh. It's a great organization. They trust their own guys and don't like going out and getting other players," he said.

Suchy played in the South Atlantic League for West Virginia last year and said he expects to be with the Bradenton Marauders this season.

"Whether I am playing with the big leaguers or minor leaguers it's fun. I just want to play the game," Suchy said.

This story was originally published March 11, 2016 at 11:34 AM with the headline "Bradenton's Mike Suchy comes up big for Pittsburgh Pirates with home run ."