it's an absolute joy to be back at PNC Park this season for the home opener as we celebrate the vibrant energy of our great city right here in what USA Today recently ranked as the very best ballpark in Major League Baseball a ballpark that seems to become more beautiful as time goes by today we honor this Pirates player who earned a Rawlings Gold Glove award in 2023 the first Pirates third basement to ever win this prestigious award we are proud to recognize first time winner ke Brian Hayes for
his Superior defensive work the Pirates are pleased to be joined today by a true Hall of Famer for the ceremonial first pitch here he is the skipper Jim Leland Jared Jones obviously we mentioned his second start five and two thirds in that first start of his career Two walks 10 strikeouts and that opponent average looks terrific let's see if he can carried on into today against this good Orioles team gunar Henderson will lead off the game against Jones how about this start three pitches and he
strikes them out my goodness I don't know if we thought there were any Jitters here for Jared Jones he really got through a quick they three straight fast balls right at gunar Henderson look at this one middle up and as we mentioned that fast ball at the top of the Zone he gets a ton of spin on it Rutman who had 20 homers drove in 80 runs last year an Allstar facing Jared Jones swing the Miss he struck him out elevating 99 Jones with two strikeouts he's electrified Taylor deep Center little trou
ble but recovers he out and soar the Orioles they go down one 23 against Jared Jones pitching in the home opener and the Pirates are coming up here in Pittsburgh no score Grayson Rodriguez that was his only start of the Season how about that nine punch outs only one walk those nine strikeouts tied a career high for him O'Neal Cruz six hits and 28 at bats the first seven pirate games and the other way for O'Neal Cruz H Cruz leads off the First with a single so he got an off an off speed pitch and
because he was staying back it was able just kind of slaping the other way this will be the 17th pitch of the first inning a single a ground out a walk and swinsky fouled tips it into the mid of adley rare back it took 97 right to the upper part of the strike zone towards the outside part of the plate Well Done by Grayson Rodriguez McCutchen at 299 career home runs a former National League MVP 11 years ago of the Pirates in his first in here in the steel city and McCutchen drives one the other
way to right sand there is under it at the warning track and he puts away the third out of the inning Ryan mountcastle to open up the second inning against the righty Jared Jones and he's got another strike out that's three for Jared Jones through four batters Ryan three for 12 with a double and a walk on the young year high in the a to center field this ball driven Deep by o'n Taylor's at the wall and this ball clears it it's the first home run of the season for Ryan o'n and he gives the Oriole
s a second inning lead in Pittsburgh Bo big time there huh one-w pitch and there's a ball pulled through the right side for a base hit Westberg he's around second he's going to test out swinsky as the throw goes into third it is cut off by O'Neal Cruz and Colton cower another hit Runners at the corners and two outs now and the inning remains open for Ramon Aras and a ground ball to O'Neal Cruz for the final out Birds on the board Orioles leading it one to nothing over Pittsburgh as we start the
third and J Jones delivers to gunar Henderson Henderson hooks one of the ear deep to center field Michael Taylor chasing this one back and it's off the top of the wall and gone well the Orioles have taken aim at center field twice Ryan Hearn and Gunter Henderson way up the middle a couple of solo shots off the young Jones and he owes half the first two come on now kid and he struck him out on a curve strike out number four for Jared Jones just 22 years old two outs nobody on and a one-w swing an
d a miss struck him out on the slider he had no chance Jared Jones with five strikeouts through three Innings oh this guy is so talented it's unbelievable I mean if he just you know can can harness some of that Talent you know he it's unbelievable what this guy's possibly doing there's an example of it right there that's a a good example of it this guy's a true five tool player you know if you look in the history of baseball there aren't that many five tool guys there's a lot of great Superstars
and great players but not everyone of them could do everything let's continue the Good Vibes into this season Davis chases a high fast ball and Grayson Rodriguez strikes out the former number one overall pick two1 pitch out towards shallow center field on the run in comes Cedric ball diving he makes the catch Cedric continues to slide 10 feet across the wet grass but the ball is in hand a one two3 inning for Grayson Rodriguez here's O'Neal Cruz he's got two two strike hits today Pais singles a
Fly ball to right field there is your first cruise missile of 2024 at home it's number two on the year bucks on the board now the one guy ATT Grayson Rodriguez is number so far O'Neal Cruz Jared Jones a rookie in his second career start couple of solo home runs hiside he's been tremendous out Castle golfs one deep into left center field another long run for Taylor and this is off the base of the wall there's a one two swing in a Miss there's another for Jones seven strikeouts this is a good slid
er right here one that has a little more down tilt than the other ones he typically throws especially the lefties that's almost what Cedric Mullins was saying with that facial expression like ah usually that one kind of comes a little bit more in as opposed to down he's got some friends and family on hand including his dad Keith onew pitch to right field Reynolds back and he makes the catch that's probably it in a six strong Innings there's Keith Jones his son Jared limits the Orioles to two run
s and we move to the bottom of the sixth inning and he sets him down Grayson Rodriguez strikes out the side in the sixth let him know kid as the Orioles take a two to one lead into the seventh set to go underway again here oras at second Henderson at first for adley Rutman two to one Orioles lead the Pirates in the seven a 3-1 swing and a ground ball pulled through the left side ramono R's waved in a furious left hand of Tony mansolino and Aras is just in there ahead of the throw from swinski an
d the tag from Davis santand Deere the co RBI leader in the AL coming into today will swing it h a ground ball pass to diving Hayes and bring in one more Henderson races in Rutman goes to Third and satand there takes second behind the play an opposite field double for Anthony and the Orioles have a pair in the seventh Jared triolo leads it off for the Pirates 4 to one Orioles going to fly ball toward Center Field deep and clear the deck Cannonball coming big tree cracks one over the center field
fence it's a 42 ball game what a day for a ball game a strike out on a curveball will end the night for Grayson Rodriguez his seventh punch out of the evening now punches out five of the last six batters he season this was only a really good breaking ball in the outside part of the plate six Innings one run in his first start six and a third two runs in his second Orioles come to bad here in the eighth inning leading 4-2 Cedric Mullins the leaded off Mullin rips it down the right field Line Thi
s one is in the corner and it hits off the ball and is gone Cedric Mullin it's a home run a line shot off the bottom of the foul pole in right field and after the Pirates hmer the Orioles had another one today it is number two for Mullins and the Orioles extend their leane to 5-2 there is cig Kimbrell Dany Kum did H thing y Canó now up to Kimbrell to pick up his first save as an or he struck him out looking the 11th strikeout for orial pitching today and Davis goes down for a third time the Orio
les have struck out at least one every inning from the fourth on in the air to right field well struck by triolo but Santander is waiting and the Orioles get to five and two by winning 5-2
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