Oneil Cruz has a history of heroics on Opening Day for the Pittsburgh Pirates, serving as the difference-maker in one-run wins at the Cincinnati Reds in 2023 and at the Miami Marlins last year.
But Cruz was at the central figure in a game defined by critical defensive lapses as the Marlins rallied for a 5-4 walk-off win over the Pirates in the season opener Thursday at loanDepot park in Miami.
When Pirates manager Derek Shelton directly blamed the defense for the defeat, he didn’t single out Cruz. It wasn’t necessary, given the magnitude of his mistakes in center.
It was a disappointing performance by a player who had delivered in big moments in the previous two season openers. He hit a solo home run and a sacrifice fly for the go-ahead run in a 5-4 win against the Reds in 2023, then hit a game-tying solo homer in the eighth inning and drew a two-out walk in the 12th in the 6-5 win over the Marlins last year.
“Unfortunately, it’s part of the game sometimes,” Cruz said through translator Stephen Morales on the SportsNet Pittsburgh postgame show. “You just put it behind and come out tomorrow and be the best version of yourself.”
The Pirates are hoping the best version of the 6-foot-7, 240-pounder is in center field. It’s a new position for Cruz after switching from shortstop last August. Cruz became the eighth different player to start in center in as many Opening Days, as the Pirates haven’t found a replacement for two-time Gold Glove winner Starling Marte.
J.B. Shuck was a last-second replacement in 2019. Jarrod Dyson and Anthony Alford had speed but were short-lived experiments. Bryan Reynolds started there in 2022 but switched back to left field, and Jack Suwinski struggled there defensively in 2023. The Pirates signed an AL Gold Glove winner in Michael A. Taylor last year, but he didn’t hit.
When Cruz’s play at shortstop became problematic after half of his 24 errors came in a one-month span, including three in one game at Houston, the Pirates shifted him to center and inserted Isiah Kiner-Falefa at shortstop. In 23 games, Cruz had minus-3 defensive runs saved and, per Sports Info Solutions, had nine misplays and errors.
His mistakes against the Marlins were more mental, though effort also was an issue.
The Pirates had a 4-2 lead in the eighth inning when Kyle Stowers drew a leadoff walk against Colin Holderman. On a two-out single to center by Otto Lopez, Cruz tried to throw Stowers out at home plate instead of throwing to second to keep the runner from advancing. It backfired when Dane Myers hit a single to center to score Lopez and tie the score.
“We’ve got to keep the tying run at (first) base,” Pirates manager Derek Shelton said. “We cannot throw the ball to the plate.”
That’s become an issue with Cruz, who has one of the best arms in baseball but has demonstrated some poor decision-making.
“I think, as an outfielder, your first reaction is to throw everybody out, but I think that was not the throw that I needed to make,” Cruz said, per MLB.com. “It was supposed to be a lower throw to give our infielders a chance to cut the ball and keep the double play in order and keep that guy at first base.”
Cruz didn’t come through at the plate, either, as the Pirates went for 1 for 9 with runners in scoring position and stranded nine baserunners. He went down looking at a called third strike with two outs and runners on first and third in the fifth inning. The Pirates had runners on first and second with one out in the top of the ninth when Cruz swung at a 3-1 sinker outside the strike zone to fly out to left-center.
But Cruz’s worst play was still to come.
With David Bednar pitching in the ninth, Nick Fortes hit a fly ball to deep right-center. Cruz didn’t track or chase it fast enough, allowing the ball to bounce off the base of the wall and past his glove. Fortes turned it into a triple, putting the winning run 90 feet away from home plate. Pinch runner Javier Sanoja scored on a single to right by Stowers.
“You learn a lot from days like this,” Cruz said. “You just learn from it, try to get better at it. That way they don’t haunt you in the future again. You just go at it the next day.”
Categories: Pirates/MLB | Sports
