Arms lively, but bats dead in 3-1 loss to Cubs
Associated Press
The Pittsburgh Pirates (left) and Chicago Cubs line the base paths during the National Anthem on opening day of the 2012 Major League Baseball season Monday at PNC Park.
Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher A.J. Burnett (34) delivers a pitch during the second inning of Monday's season opener against the Chicago Cubs in Pittsburgh.
PITTSBURGH — The Pirates put some lively arms on display Monday afternoon. Unfortunately, for the second consecutive year the Bucs’ bats were mostly dead in their home opener, and the result was a 3-1 loss to the Chicago Cubs at PNC Park.
Jeff Samardzija fired eight scoreless innings and Anthony Rizzo hit a two-run homer to help the Cubs spoil a sunny-but-cold day for a sell-out crowd of 39,078.
“The last two times we’ve faced him, he’s been a beast out there,” Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said of Samardzija, who entered the game with a 3-0 career mark and a 1.16 ERA against Pittsburgh. “He was throwing whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted.”
At least the Pirates got on the board this time. Last year the Phillies’ Roy Halladay and Jonathan Papelbon combined on a two-hit shutout in a 1-0 win in Pittsburgh.
The Pirates scored their only run in the ninth when they knocked Chicago closer Carlos Marmol from the game, but James Russell and Kyuji Fujikawa, who notched the save, got the final two outs.
Pirates starting pitcher A.J. Burnett was overpowering at times, but Chicago touched him for just enough offense to secure the win. Burnett struck out 10 while allowing three runs on six hits in 5 2/3 innings with one walk.
The right-hander became only the third Pirate in history to record double-digit strikeouts on opening day, joining John Candelaria in 1983 and Bob Veale in 1965.
That mattered little to the right-hander, though, who was disappointed he couldn’t give his team a few more innings.
“Overall, you want to go out there a little longer, a little deeper,” said Burnett, who threw 98 pitches and drew a standing ovation when he was removed in the sixth. “It took some pitches to get those (strikeouts).”
Burnett, who was 16-10 last year for the Pirates, started for the first time in his career on opening day, and felt some butterflies before the game.
“I was nervous, but it was a good nervousness,” Burnett said.
“A.J. pitched competitively … did the things you want out of A.J.,” Hurdle said.
Burnett was followed to the mound by Justin Wilson, Jared Hughes and Mark Melancon, who combined for 3 1/3 no-hit, shutout innings with five strikeouts, giving Pirate pitchers 15 for the game.
It looked like the bullpen’s stellar work might allow the Bucs to pull out a late victory.
Marmol struck out Garrett Jones to start the ninth, but then Andrew McCutchen was hit by a pitch and stole second. Pedro Alvarez followed with a run-scoring single and Gaby Sanchez drew a walk to bring the winning run to the plate.
Cubs manager Dale Sveum, a former Pirate, had seen enough at this point and called on Russell to get Neil Walker on a looping line drive to right fielder Nate Schierholtz, and then Fujikawa to get Russell Martin on a game-ending fly out to center.
“We battled our best,” said Martin. “I don’t think it was a lack of effort on our part.”
Rizzo followed Starlin Castro’s one-out single in the first with a home run to center to give the Cubs all the runs they would need on the one pitch Burnett wished he had back.
“The ball leaking over the plate to Rizzo, that was the only pitch,” Burnett said. “He’s an aggressive swinger and he got me.”
Burnett quickly settled down. He struck out the side in the second and third, then worked out of a two-on, no-out jam in the fourth with two more strikeouts.
The Cubs finally got to Burnett again in the sixth when Schierholtz was hit by a pitch and scored on Wellington Castillo’s double.
McCutchen tried to provide a spark for the Pirates. The All-Star center fielder, who was presented with his 2012 Silver Slugger and Golden Glove awards before the game, was the only Pirate to reach base twice, and gave his team its only extra-base hit, stolen base and run.
The Pirates threatened in the first when Starling Marte drew a lead-off walk and Jones reached when second baseman Brent Lillibridge booted his grounder for an error. McCutchen hit into a force play at second to advance Marte to third, but Samardzija then struck out Alvarez and Sanchez to end the inning.
The only hits Pittsburgh managed off Samardzija were Walker’s single in the second and McCutchen’s sharp double just inside the left-field foul line in the sixth.
“He’s a five-pitch guy who really mixes his pitches well,” Martin said of Samardzija, who retired 14 in a row at one point.
Burnett preferred to give credit to the Cubs right-hander rather than be down on his team’s offense.
“It’s one of those days. He was a beast out there,” Burnett said. “You’ve got to tip your hat to the other guy.”