Cards Go Long, Hold Off Off Pirates 5-4 In Opener

Some nice pitching early; it took three innings to light the board before Tyler O'Neill caught a hung hook from Joe Musgrove and dropped it into the bullpen. The Bucs tried to comeback in the fourth. Adam Frazier and Kevin Newman singled to set up Josh Bell and Colin Moran, but alas, no luck. In the fifth, Dexter Fowler banged a heater over the fence to make it 2-0. Kolten Wong - yah, he's still around to aggravate Buccos - doubled with two outs, stretching it to third when the relay ticked off his foot and past Captain Redbeard, but tried to go a base too far. A hustling Big Joe ran down the bouncing ball and got Wong at home on a sweet sweep tag by Jake Stallings to keep the Bucs down just a pair.

The Pirates went quietly in the sixth. The Redbirds had runners at first and third on a knock and a walk with two down, prompting Shelty to make his first managerial move. The skipper waved in Clay Holmes to face Yadier Molina as Musgrove was at 99 pitches. Yadi didn't spank Clay, but he did soft serve a bloop into left to make it 3-0. J-Bell legged out a hit, Cap't Colin singled and Jose Osuna rang up another infield rap (well hit but nicely stopped by 3B Tommy Edman to limit the damage) to juice the sacks with an out in the seventh. After a K, Jake came up clutch as his bouncer through the right side plated a pair to make it 3-2. Wong reached with two outs on a single and error by Kevin Newman (nice pick up the middle, bad throw), but Clay worked out of it with a swinging K.

Joey O had two knocks - 2020 Topps Heritage

Ryan Helsley got the eighth inning call and worked a quiet frame. Rich Rodriguez wasn't nearly as sharp; a infield single and Paul DeJong dinger opened the spread to 5-2. South Korean lefty Kwang Hyun Kim made his MLB debut as SL closer, and an error and Moran two-bagger put him in immediate hot water. Joey O fell behind 0-2, worked a couple of pitches, and then singled up the middle to make it 5-4. But curb your enthusiasm: a fly out and 4-6-3 DP by Jake, hit sharply but right at Wong, finished it up.

Big Joe's line was workmanlike: 5-2/3 innings, three runs, five hits (two homers), with three walks and seven K. But the Pirates were third in HRs surrendered in the NL last year and only ahead of Miami in hitting them; that gap showed up again tonight and Ben Cherington needs to close that chasm.

Notes: 

• The Pirates had eight hits (seven were singles); Colin Moran and Jose Osuna each had a pair of raps.
• Big Joe has gone six straight starts giving up three or fewer runs, but hasn't worked longer than six innings in any of them.
• It was the first Opening Day starts for Joe Musgrove, Jose Osuna and Guillermo Heredia.
• Old bud Sean Rodriguez was signed by the Marlins to their 30-man squad; Travis Snider was inked to the 60-man B-team.