This Week in 'Pitch': Mike's Turn

Warning: This post contains spoilers for season 1, episode 7 of “Pitch” and all episodes before.

This week on “Pitch,” we take a little break from Ginny’s busy life to focus on what’s happening with her catcher, superstar Mike Lawson. He’s dealing with bad knees, whippersnappers biting at his heels, and the realization that he might actually be getting too old for the game that he loves.

ON THE FIELD
Circumstances have converged to lead us to the events in this week’s episode. The team has two days off in 10 days, so they’re skipping one of Ginny’s starts. That makes sense: Ginny’s their fifth starter, and with the days off they can pitch their No. 1 starter twice in that span. Ginny’s not happy about that. She knows she’s not being punished, but she can’t stand not playing.

More circumstances: the team’s backup catcher has gotten hurt, so they’re calling up Levon Duarte, the Cuban catcher that Oscar the GM signed over the All-Star break. He’s been mashing in Triple-A, and Mike Lawson is understandably worried that Levon’s going to take his job from him. (Blip Sanders jokes about Wally Pipp, who Ginny has to look up on her phone. Ugh.) When the Padres’ manager tells Mike that he’ll be trying out first base for a few games, Mike gets even more worried. And when Levon hits two homers in his very first major league game, well, you see the trend in how Mike feels. When Levon arrives, they obviously don’t get along, mostly because Levon’s not acting like a team player and making it all about him. Mike tries to teach him, but Levon’s not hearing it.

In the series finale, the San Diego Padres are deadlocked with the San Francisco Giants in the 11th inning, and they’ve gone through almost all of their right-handed relievers. That’s how Ginny gets a chance to pitch. She comes in with the bases loaded and a one-run lead in the 13th inning, even though she’s never relieved before. Ginny looks to Mike for advice, but Mike’s playing first and Levon’s catching. So Mike tells her to trust Levon, and they both come through. Mike’s not perfect at first base, but it feels like it could work. But for now, it won’t. Levon’s going back to the bench for the time being (until he matures a bit), and Mike’s the team’s main backstop. Even though we find out that they put him on waivers to try and trade him. Uh oh.

OFF THE FIELD
Ginny main task this week is dealing with the imminent release of the nude selfies she sent to an ex-boyfriend. To take her mind off things, the manager, Al, takes Ginny out in San Francisco for some good gnocchi. It works: he gives her a good meal, and helps her realize that she can’t just be a pitcher. The mound can’t be her only home. She needs to find a life beyond that.

Ginny and her agent, Amelia, aren’t going to just sit around and wait for the pics to be released. They have a solution, and it involves the whole team. Ginny decides to do a nude photo shoot in the style of the ESPN Body Issue, and she and Amelia invite Mike and Blip. And then a few more members of the team show up in robes. And then the whole team is there for the nude photo shoot, standing by their teammate and helping her get through this ridiculously unfair thing she has to endure. It’s damage control, but it’s incredibly effective.

IN THE PAST
This week, we take a trip into Mike Lawson’s past. He’s maybe 9 or 10 in 1990, when they show him and his mother fleeing their home and most of their belongings without an explanation. Then he’s at a little league game without any gear, but with a strong desire to play first base. The coach, the owner of a local car dealership, takes Mike under his wing and teaches him how to be a catcher.

Then things take a turn. Mike’s mom is using him as a shill to get money. He’s late for practice one day and tells his coach that his mom’s car broke down. Not only did he have to take two buses to get there, but she can’t find work because she can’t get to interviews anymore. He arrives back at his mom’s perfectly operational car with a small stack of cash from his coach. Mike’s mom is proud, but Mike looks conflicted. Of course, coach finds out and they have a fight at her apartment. Mom’s solution is leave, which Mike doesn’t want to do.

Before he leaves, the coach has a heartbreaking talk with Mike. About how Mike doesn’t always have to do what his mom tells him to if he thinks it’s wrong, and how he can make the right choice and be the adult if she doesn’t want to. He’s holding back tears as he leaves. And as Mike and him mom leave, she impulsively tells him that the coach is actually his father. Ouch.

BEHIND THE SCENES
If the past few videos haven’t told you that this cast is very close, the one at the top of this post definitely will. The three main cast members (Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Mo McRae, and Kylie Bunbury) have a pact: just be nice. Well, Gosselaar says it much more colorfully than that, but that’s the main thrust. It’s so much easier to do your job when everyone is kind and wants to be there, and that’s what they vowed to do.

MIKE LAWSON VS. ZACK MORRIS
Mike Lawson had a tough week. He’s dealing with getting older, seeing the end of his career get closer, and he’s got some serious daddy issues. He’s feeling really alone, and he’s not ready to reach out to anyone and ask for help. There are episodes of “Saved by the Bell” where Zack deals with problems with his father, but there’s only one where he really stares down what it means to be a star, alone in the world. Yes, I’m talking about the episode where Zack, Kelly, Lisa, Slater, and Screech form a rock band called Zack Attack and start climbing the Billboard charts. (Where was Jessie? Who knows.)

As the band gets more popular, Zack decides to strike out on his own, and he hates it. He’s lonely and miserable. So he gets back with his friends. Learn from Zack, Mike! Reach out to your friends! They’re always there for you!