Black Bears' Gonzalez hustles at, behind plate

After a slow start to the season, Yoel Gonzalez celebrated at the plate on the Fourth of July.
The Pittsburgh catching prospect fell a homer short of the cycle while setting a career high with five hits and four RBIs to lead Class A Short Season West Virginia over Mahoning Valley, 8-5, in 12 innings.

"Tonight was a great chance to see what Yoel is capable of doing," Black Bears manager Brian Esposito said. "He was going up there and just being competitive. He was looking to do some damage and wasn't feeling for the ball. He was just looking to get the barrel out front and drive the baseball."
Gonzalez put West Virginia on the board with an RBI single to left field in the second inning. He lined another knock to left in the fourth and then plated his second run with his third single in as many at-bats to center in the seventh.
Box score
The 20-year-old knotted the game, 4-4, with a two-run double to right in the eighth. It was Gonzalez's third two-bagger in his last two games.
"I've watched him for a while now and I'm starting to see the things that I expect to see out of him as he moves forward," Esposito added. "He's really talented behind the plate and has good tools to work with. He had a drastic change in his energy and how he approached the game. I think that's come with him getting more mature and getting over the hump of being a young catcher and getting kind of beat up in the [Rookie-level] Gulf Coast League."
As good as his performance at the plate was, Gonzalez committed three throwing errors on the night. Esposito was happy to see how the 6-foot-1 backstop rebounded from them
"It was good to see him have a short memory," his skipper said. "He tried to force some throws and wound up making three throwing errors on the night. He didn't let that affect his performance in the box. I think that shows his maturity and that he's starting to separate the game. He's expanding his leadership role and is making a conscious effort to lead the pitching staff. He's recognizing a lot of different things about the opponents and their gameplan."
The Dominican Republic native capped his night with an RBI triple to right in the 12th. It was the second three-bagger of Gonzalez's career and his first since 2013. 
"He drove the ball in the big part of the field and he was out of the box hard," Esposito said. "He was looking for three out of the box. That hunger is what we're looking for and it's what we're starting to see coming out of him. He wants to prove what he's capable of doing."

After starting the season in a 2-for-15 slump, Gonzalez has eight hits in his last 12 at-bats, raising his batting average from .133 to .357 in a three-game span. In eight games this season, he has produced a .357/.345/.536 slash line with six RBIs.
"One good night doesn't make a good season. Consistency is the key," Esposito said. "If he becomes consistent in his approach that he took tonight, a game like this can help open his eyes to what he's able to do if he puts in the work and remains committed to the process."
Raul Siri and Chris Sharpe collected three hits apiece for the Black Bears.
The Scrappers' Ulysses Cantu recorded the first four-hit game of his career.