PITTSBURGH — After a two-month wait that featured talk of team control, service time and development, with Pirates fans understandably eager to see the freakishly talented prospect return to Pittsburgh and bring with him a glimmer of hope, Oneil Cruz’s first big league game was disrupted by, of all things, a squirrel.
The curious onlooker, chased by three stadium employees carrying nets and a bucket, scurried along the warning track before discovering the North Side Notch and fleeing into the bullpens. It was a brief snippet of what transpired Monday night but also telling: Even squirrels didn’t want to miss out on seeing the electric, 6-foot-7 shortstop’s return.
Getting his first MLB action since a two-game tease at the end of the 2021 season, Cruz did not disappoint. In fact, he stole the show during Pittsburgh’s 12-1 romp over the Cubs at PNC Park, showcasing his speed, arm strength and power during another dazzling display, with Cruz collecting two hits, including a double, plus four RBIs and two runs scored.
Making Monday even more enjoyable: Cruz was hardly alone. Promoted along with Bligh Madris, who made his MLB debut by piling up three hits, the duo combined to drive in six of the Pirates’ 12 runs on the night. Daniel Vogelbach also had two hits, two RBIs and scored three times.
After reaching on an error in his first at-bat, Cruz eventually scored on a sacrifice fly, reaching a sprint speed of 31.5 feet per second that qualified as the fastest for a Pirates player this season.
A half-inning later, in the top of the third, Cruz backhanded a ball from Cubs catcher Willson Contreras and uncorked a missile. His throw whizzed across the diamond at 96.7 mph, the hardest for any position player this season and faster than any pitch Pirates starter JT Brubaker threw against Chicago.
It’s actually the second-fastest ball ever thrown by a position player in the Statcast Era, trailing only Fernando Tatis Jr. (97.3 mph in 2020).
If that wasn’t enough, the Cruz Show continued in his second at-bat, as the big man ripped a fastball up the middle for a bases-clearing double that left his bat at 112.9, the highest exit velocity for any Pirates hitter this season.
Yeah, it was impressive. And long overdue. If there’s something lacking in Cruz’s game, it wasn’t evident — or important — on this night, as the Pirates throttled a Cubs team that has really struggled of late.
Before Cruz bolted him, Madris barreled an elevated sinker, his base hit registering an exit velocity of 109.1 mph.
Coupled with his steal of second base in the second inning, Madris became the third player in team history to record a hit, RBI and a stolen base in his MLB debut since 1920 (when RBI became an official statistic) and the first since Andrew McCutchen on June 4, 2009.
Madris added to his two-run single with a double in the sixth and a single in seventh.
Meanwhile, Cruz produced the three fastest spring speeds of the year by a Pirates player: 31.5 feet/second, 30.7 and 30.3, while three of his four MLB hits have gone at least 103.8 mph.
As much as numbers can try to quantify what’s great about Cruz — and they’re certainly fun given his immense talent — there’s also something with him that’s tougher to explain, a confidence the Pirates have with Cruz in the lineup, a comfortability knowing he’s going to supply some offense or do something impressive.
The Pirates’ youthful swagger was evident against the Cubs, their ability to excite just a flick of the bat away at all times, eager fans not knowing where the game might turn next.
If it wasn’t Cruz, it’s also been Jack Suwinski and his three-homer game Sunday. Or Roansy Contreras on the mound. Cal Mitchell has also had some fun moments, and it’s the general expectation that this sort of stuff should continue.
Cruz and Madris now, Mason Martin and Ji-Hwan Bae later. Keep the kids coming.
On the mound, JT Brubaker had a performance he won’t soon forget — in large part because he had gone a really long time since his last win. The Pirates right-hander worked six scoreless innings, allowing five hits and three walks and striking out five.
Brubaker came into this one 0-7 on the year, with his last win coming Aug. 24, 2021. His six scoreless innings dropped his ERA on the season to 4.11.
With the game hardly in doubt, Vogelbach delivered a two-run double in the seventh, pummeling an outside fastball to center. Cruz added a run-scoring single, Tyler Heineman a double, and Hoy Park tacked on another sacrifice fly to round out the scoring.
Around the horn
The 12 runs the Pirates scored represents a season-high. They’re the most Pittsburgh has scored since putting up 14 on Aug. 14, 2021 against the Brewers. … Madris became the 10th player in team history to record 10 hits in his MLB debut, the first to do it since Jason Kendall on April 1, 1996.
