Pittsburgh's Nick Yorke singles during the seventh inning of Tuesday's game against the St. Louis Cardinals. Jeff Roberson/Associated Press

Nick Yorke started this season playing for the Portland Sea Dogs and didn't know when he was going to get his first major league hit, but the Pittsburgh Pirates rookie second baseman knew exactly who was getting the souvenir ball once he did.

When Yorke singled to right-center off Lance Lynn in the fifth inning of a 3-1 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals on Tuesday night at Busch Stadium, he was offered congratulations by seven-time All-Star first baseman Paul Goldschmidt and then scanned the stands.

Yorke saw his mother, Robyn, celebrating with family members. A four-time All-American softball player at Fresno State who is the mother of three sons - Nick is the middle child - Robyn Yorke has been instrumental in her son's baseball career since the start.

After the game, Yorke gave his mother the ball and a big hug.

"It means a lot," Nick Yorke said of his first big league hit, "especially to do it in front of the family means a lot."

After going 0 for 3 in his debut Monday, Yorke went 3 for 4 against the Cardinals. He also had singles in the seventh inning off Ryan Fernandez and in the ninth off two-time All-Star closer Ryan Helsley.

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"At the end of the day, whoever it is on the mound I'm going to do my best to try to get a base hit, find a barrel," Yorke said. "I just got a pitch I could handle there."

Pirates Manager Derek Shelton liked what he saw from Yorke's approach at the plate in his first two MLB games. The Pirates acquired Yorke, 22, from the Boston Red Sox on July 29 for right-handed pitcher Quinn Priester in a swap of former first-round draft picks.

Nick Yorke played 45 games with the Portland Sea Dogs before getting promoted to Worcester. Shawn Patrick Ouellette/Staff Photographer

"I think it shows why we acquired this guy," Shelton said. "He's got a good swing."

Yorke's bat has been his carrying tool, and it helped him jump two levels this season. He was a nonroster invite to spring training with the Red Sox, then started at Double-A Portland. After batting .251 with eight doubles, four home runs and 27 RBI in 45 games, Yorke earned a promotion to Triple-A Worcester on June 5.

He hit .310 with eight doubles, six homers and 19 RBI in 38 games before being traded to the Pirates. Assigned to Triple-A Indianapolis, Yorke continued raking by batting .355 with 17 doubles and 26 RBI in 40 games before his contract was selected Monday.

"It's super cool to start in Double-A and get your first hit in the major leagues in the same year," Yorke said. "To me, everyone's got the talent, everyone's got the skills, so you've just got to play with confidence whether you go 0 for 4. You've got to show up as the same guy every day."

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That lesson was valuable when Yorke went 0 for 3 in his debut, grounding to short, striking out and grounding into a forceout. He was more involved Tuesday, turning double plays in the first and third innings to help Bailey Falter escape jams.

When Yorke hit Lynn's 1-1 cutter inside-out to right-center for his first hit in the fifth inning, it was a relief. Michael A. Taylor drew a walk but Nick Gonzales grounded into a double play to end the scoring chance.

"I was pushing a little bit yesterday, when I went 0-for," Yorke said. "I was pressing a little bit, so to get it out of the way means a lot."

Shelton saw signs of good at-bats in the first two games but noticed a difference in Yorke once he got the career milestone out of the way.

"You go through your first game and there's so many emotions; all of a sudden, you get that first hit and you kind of relax a little bit," Shelton said. "You get that first hit and you kind of breathe a little bit and then we saw two good swings after that."

Yorke went on the attack, swinging at the first pitch he saw in the seventh and hitting Fernandez's 97.1-mph fastball at the bottom of the strike zone for a line drive to right field. With two outs in the ninth, he hit Helsley's 2-2 slider low and away for a single to center.

"Helsley's one of the best relievers in the game, one of the best closers in the game," Shelton said, "and he had a really good at-bat off him."

And more mementos to share with his family.

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