PITTSBURGH — Former red-bearded Pirate Colin Moran made a habit of homering in home openers, doing so in three straight seasons from 2018-2020. Perhaps the current red-bearded Pirate, outfielder Ben Gamel, can claim the next day as his.
After the Chicago Cubs took a one-run lead in the first inning at PNC Park, the Pirates wasted no time taking back the lead. Third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes ripped a two-out single to the right side of the infield, bouncing off the first baseman’s glove. Yoshi Tsutsugo then drew a walk to bring Gamel to the plate.
The second-year Pirate got a ball at the bottom of the zone, stayed on top of it and lifted it high into the air, over the wall in right for a three-run homer.
It was the spark Pittsburgh needed in an eventual 6-2 win.
Hayes’ table-setting in the first was also a precursor for the type of game the 25-year-old third baseman would have. Hayes doubled and scored another run in the third, added an RBI single in the fourth, then singled again in the seventh to round out a 4-for-4 day with two runs scored. It was the second four-hit game of his MLB career, with the first coming in a five-hit effort against Cleveland in 2020.
Hayes also added some sterling defensive plays, as he tends to do. In the top of the fifth, the Cubs mounted their only real threat of the afternoon, with a pair of singles off starter Zach Thompson and a walk against left-handed reliever Dillon Peters. Hayes helped get his team out of it, though, as Peters forced Cubs catcher Willson Contreras to roll a ground ball over to Hayes. The man on the hot corner ranged to his left, scooped it and started a 5-4-3 double play to end the inning.
While that was good news for the Pirates, the fifth inning as a whole was not. Thompson pitched well Wednesday afternoon, getting through the first three innings only allowing a solo home run to Contreras. In the fourth, he found some trouble, with Cubs outfielder Seiya Suzuki touching him up for an RBI single, but still, Thompson was making a strong first impression.
In the fifth, though, with a runner on first, Nico Hoerner rocketed a ball back toward Thompson, drilling the big right-hander in the shoulder as he turned to brace for impact. The play ended as an unfortunate infield single, while Thompson crouched to the ground. He left the game with what the Pirates called a right shoulder contusion, making way for Peters.
On a team short on pitching depth, the severity of the injury could be important for the Pirates. Without Thompson, the team has a few options to potentially replace him, but not many to slide into the bullpen after that.
Nonetheless, the Pirates will take the game’s result, which was appropriately sealed in the ninth inning by Gamel. Suzuki walked to lead off the inning, and the next batter, Jason Heyward, ripped a sinking line drive to right field. Gamel took a few strides forward then dived, nabbing the ball in mid-air to stem the tide of any potential comeback.
