Liriano K’s 10, has RBI as Pirates win opener
Pirates starting pitcher Francisco Liriano throws against the St. Louis Cardinals in Major League Baseball's season-opening game Sunday afternoon at PNC Park. Liriano struck out 10 in pitching six scoreless innings to earn the win in the Pirates' 4-1 victory.
Holly Tonini
Pittsburgh Pirates鈥� Gregory Polanco gets a hit against the Cardinals at PNC Park on Opening Day.
PITTSBURGH 鈥� It was almost a perfect Sunday afternoon for the Pittsburgh Pirates before a national television audience and a packed house at PNC Park.
Pittsburgh rode the arm of Francisco Liriano and some timely hitting to defeat NL Central rival St. Louis, 4-1, in the first game of the Major League Baseball season.
Liriano, who was making his third consecutive Opening Day start for the Bucs, didn鈥檛 allow a run on three hits in six innings of work. He struck out 10, which tied a Pirates鈥� opening day record, and walked five. He threw 94 pitches and 50 of those were for strikes.
鈥淚 thought Frankie went out and pitched a great game,鈥� Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. 鈥淗e had to pitch out of jams three times and he did a great job with that.鈥�
Tony Watson pitched a 1-2-3 seventh for the Pirates, and Neftali Feliz followed up with another clean inning in the eighth.
Mark Melancon allowed one run on two hits in the ninth, with the Cardinals trailing 4-0, but he was able to get Philipsburg, Pennsylvania native Matt Adams to fly out to center to end the threat.
New Pittsburgh first baseman John Jaso showed right away that he is fine with playing the position when he made a stop on a grounder hit by St. Louis鈥� lead-off batter Matt Carpenter right out of the gate.
鈥淚 thought it was a really good play,鈥� Hurdle said. 鈥淚 think he was glad to be able to go out there and make a play that early in the game.鈥�
Newly acquired infielder David Freese, who won a World Series with the Cardinals in 2011, made his presence known early when he threw out St. Louis鈥� Tommy Pham for the second out of the game. Freese also had the Bucs鈥� first hit of the season, a single in the first, and finished 2-for-4.
鈥淗e has fit in really nicely with this team,鈥� Hurdle said. 鈥淲e are happy to have gotten him on this team. He made some great plays, and that one in the sixth, I think he should be given a partial save on that.鈥�
The Pirates got their offense going in the second when Gregory Polanco led off with a double. After Josh Harrison grounded out to short, Jordy Mercer walked to put runners at the corners with one out and Liriano coming to bat.
Liriano singled in Polanco for the first RBI of the season to gives the Pirates a 1-0 lead.
鈥淚 really didn鈥檛 think I would be the one to get the first RBI of the season, but I was glad to be able to get a hit out there,鈥� Liriano said. 鈥淚 was just glad to be able to pitch well enough to put us in a position to win. I was still a little nervous out there and excited, but I just try to go out there and have fun.鈥�
Jaso followed with a bloop single to score Mercer and the Bucs held a 2-0 lead heading into the third.
鈥淚 was just trying to battle to help us get the win,鈥� Mercer said. 鈥淔rankie pitched lights out for us and we were able to get the timely hits. This was a type of game that we like to win. It was very special out there to play in front of a national audience on opening day.鈥�
Liriano started the third by striking out Kolten Wong for his fifth consecutive punchout in the game. After walking No. 8 hitter Jedd Gyorko, Pirates catcher Francisco Cervelli threw the ball away when trying to force him out at second on a bunt attempt by Cardinals starting pitcher Adam Wainwright. Gyroko reached third on the play and Wainwright was safe at first.
Liriano was able to buckle down and get Carpenter to ground into a 6-3 double play.
鈥淥utside of Cervelli蘑菇视频 error, I thought we played a clean game,鈥� Hurdle said. 鈥淚 was pleased with the effort.鈥�
The Pirates鈥� lefty had to pitch out of another jam in the fourth when he gave up his first hit, a single to Matt Holliday, another single to Randal Grichuk and a walk to Yadier Molina to load the bases with two outs. Liriano coolly struck out Kolten Wong to end the threat.
Liriano started the sixth walking Holliday before striking out Grichuk looking to tie the club蘑菇视频 Opening Day record of 10, but walked Steven Piscotty and gave up a single to Molina to load the bases once more for the Cardinals with one out.
Liriano again escaped the threat when he forced Wong to pop to second and Gyorko grounded into a 5-4 forceout.
鈥淔rankie is in no-panic mode when it comes to tough situations,鈥� Cervelli said. 鈥淚 think he pitches better when he gets in those situations. I just have to be patient and wait for him to throw that perfect pitch, because I know it蘑菇视频 coming.鈥�
Pittsburgh added some insurance in the next half inning when Cervelli connected for a triple to lead off the frame. Polanco walked and Josh Harrison蘑菇视频 sacrifice fly to center provided the Pirates with a 3-0 cushion. Polanco was thrown out trying to take second on the play.
鈥淚 just tried to put a good swing on the ball and I looked for the triple when the ball was hit out there by the 410 mark,鈥� Cervelli said. 鈥淚 was glad to be able to put us in position to add another run.鈥�
Wainwright has been a thorn in the Pirates鈥� side for a long time, but Sunday was not his day. The Cardinals鈥� ace had a respectable game, but wasn鈥檛 as dominate as in the past outings against the Bucs. He allowed three earned runs on six hits in six innings of work. He struck out and walked three batters apiece.
The Pirates added an insurance run in the eighth when Mercer doubled over the head of Grichuk to score Polanco and give the Bucs a 4-0 lead.
Cervelli and Polanco hit back-to-back singles to put runners at first and second with no outs before Harrison bunted them to second and third with one out.
With Mercer batting, Cervelli was picked off at third attempting to score when a squeeze attempt didn鈥檛 work, however, Mercer was able to come through with the big hit.
鈥淚 was looking to put a good swing on the ball and make something positive happen,鈥� Mercer said. 鈥淚 wasn鈥檛 looking for anything different because they were playing shallow.鈥�
Both teams are off today and will return to action Tuesday when Pittsburgh蘑菇视频 Jonathon Niese (9-10 in 2015) faces Michael Wacha (17-7).
Pham left the game after the top of the second with a left oblique strain. He was replaced by Adams.