The game was scheduled for a 4:37 first pitch. Naturally, I arrived at the stadium at 2:15. I walked across the Clemente Bridge, tipped the saxophone guy, and grabbed a free "#WeBelieve" sign. I, along with a few hundred others, waited about 15 minutes for the stadium gates to open. At 2:30, when they finally opened, many fans sprinted inside in order to get the best standing room and bleacher spots. The Cardinals were still out taking batting practice, and some fans went down to the front row to get some early taunting in. As we walked in, each fan was given a black rally towel complete with "Raise The Jolly Roger".
The ballpark was packed by 4:10. There was a mix of booing and "Let's Go Bucs" greeting the Cardinals as they were introduced. As soon as PA Announcer Tim DeBacco said "Aaand for your Pirates" the crowd leapt to their feet, screaming and waving their towels. Likable players like Jeff Karstens, Michael McKenry, and AJ Burnett drew loud applause, but the big noise came for the starting lineup. Few got a louder ovation than manager Clint Hurdle, who was greeted by a bowing-down Pirate Parrot.
Pirate ace Francisco Liriano cruised through the first inning, drawing cheers for each strike, and standing ovations for each out. PNC got rocking early when Marlon Byrd hit a single with men on 2nd and 3rd, giving the Pirates a 2-0 lead. Liriano would play with fire throughout the day, and eventually he gave up two runs to tie the game, off of a 2 RBI single by Mr. October, Carlos Beltran. Those runs were controversial, however, because shortly before Beltran's single, Jon Jay was called safe at third on a play where he should have actually been called out. Liriano, along with the fans, bounced back and got out of the inning. The fans went bananas as Liriano walked off the field, as they knew it would be his last inning.
The fans chanted the pitcher's name again (KEL-LY KEL-LY), although it didn't seem to rattle Joe Kelly like it rattled Johnny Cueto on Tuesday. Joe Kelly did his job superbly. The problem was, he wasn't very efficient. The Pirates got his pitch count up, and we won the game getting hits off of their bullpen.
In the bottom of the 7th inning, a sacrifice fly scored McCutchen to give Pittsburgh a 3-2 lead. That didn't last long, as Carlos Beltran led off the 8th with a home run to tie the game. Once again, the crowd stayed in it through thick and thin. Trust me, I've been to some tough losses. Take September 20th vs. the Reds. We blew a three run lead in the 9th. After that, half the crowd left and the rest were dead silent. Tonight was the polar opposite. After Mark Melancon let up that tying home run, the fans stood up and cheered louder. And it worked. Melancon got out of the inning with no further damage done.
What the Pirates did in the bottom of the 8th inning is what made this night unforgettable. That inning along was a rollercoaster of emotions. Andrew McCutchen led off with a double, only to be thrown out at third on a ground ball off the bat of Justin Morneau. That was a depressing blow to the rally, but Marlon Byrd came through with a single that moved pinch runner Josh Harrison to third. Pedro Alvarez came up to bat, so Cards manager Mike Matheny decided to play some chess. He brought in lefty Kevin Seigrist, because Pedro tends to be worse against left handed pitchers. Pedro took matters into his own hands. He threw the statistics out the window, and lined a single to left, scoring Harrison to give the Pirates the lead. Russell Martin followed that up with a single to up the lead to 5-3. No exaggeration, I felt the floor beneath my feet shake as the crowd went wild.
When Greg Brown yelled "It's Grilled Cheese Time!" as closer Jason Grilli trotted out for the ninth, the sea of black was pulsating. My ears may still be ringing in fact. Grilli didn't let a leadoff single by Matt Adams get to him. He got the next three outs in short order. The fireworks shot off, "New Pirates Generation" was blasted over the PA, and the crowd went nuts. It's something I don't think I'll ever forget. We stayed to hear some TBS guy interview Pedro, but we couldn't hear it. We walked the winding path down the rotunda, as a loud Lets Go Bucs chant was shared by the thousands exiting the ballpark. The Clemente Bridge was essentially a victory parade. Everyone was in good spirits waiting in line to get their car. Pittsburgh collectively smiled.
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