Liriano proven to be the Pirates’ ‘King of Opening Day’
Francisco Liriano has proven to be the King of Opening Day during his three seasons with the Pirates.
The left-hander pitched six shutout innings and struck out 10 in last Sunday’s 4-1 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals at PNC Park. It was identical to the performance he had in the 2014 opener against the Chicago Cubs in the same venue.
According to the Elias Sports Bureau, since the distance to home plate was set at 60 feet, 6 inches, in 1893, only two other pitchers had a pair of 10-strikeout, no-run games in their teams’ season openers: Chris Short for the Phillies (1965 and 1968), and Hall of Famer Pedro Martinez for the Red Sox (1998 and 2000).
Liriano also had the first RBI of the 2016 Major League Baseball season with a second-inning single off Adam Wainwright.
It marked the first time that a pitcher drove in the first run of a season since 1973 when the Reds’ Don Gullett hit a sacrifice fly. That also happened to be the year that the designated hitter rule was instituted in the American League.
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Juan Nicasio had an outstanding Pirates’ debut Wednesday in a 5-1 win over the Cardinals, allowing only one run and two hits in six innings to complete a three-game sweep.
Signed to a one-year, $3-million contract as a free agent in December, Nicasio became just the third pitcher since 1900 to allow no more than two hits while pitching at least six innings in his first start with the Pirates.
Elmer Riddle tossed a two-hit shutout on April 22, 1948, against the Cubs.
On April 9, 1998, also against the Cubs, Kris Benson gave up one run and two hits in six innings for the win.
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It is hard to image any minor league team having a more prospect-laden starting rotation than the Pirates’ Class AAA Indianapolis farm club.
Four of the Pirates’ top 10 prospects, as ranked by the Times, opened the season at Indianapolis earlier this week — right-hander Tyler Glasnow (No. 1), righty Jameson Taillon (No. 4), left-hander Steven Brault (No. 8) and righty Trevor Williams (No. 10).
Joining those them was right-hander Chad Kuhl, another well-regarded prospect.
The Indianapolis lineup also includes a pair of top 10 prospects in first baseman Josh Bell (No. 3) and infielder Alen Hanson (No. 5).