CHICAGO — When the ball left Francisco Cervelli's bat, Josh Harrison ran toward the padded railing in the first base dugout at Wrigley Field and watched excitedly as the ball landed in the left-center field bleachers. Harrison banged on the padding, celebrated with teammates, then hopped on top of the new elevated wooden bench in the dugout, raising his arms in the air as Cervelli crossed home plate.
"Oh, yeah," he said Tuesday afternoon, smiling after that decisive three-run homer led the Pirates to an 8-5 victory over the Cubs. "They're never out of a game here. You have to pounce on them. That's what you have to do. So, yeah, I was excited. Big hit."
Harrison, now the Pirates' longest-tenured player, knows the Cubs well. They're two-time Central Division champions and were World Series champions two seasons ago. And they achieved that, Harrison said, by playing relentless baseball while having fun along the way. So, watching as his teammates displayed both traits in front of a crowd of 40,144 provoked a prideful and emotional reaction from Harrison.
After all, it helped give the Pirates their first 8-2 start since 1992, as well as a three-game lead over the Cubs, and it was a small sign that all he and his fellow veterans tried to instill in this young group in the offseason is beginning to take root.
"We're showing we're a tough team to face," he said. "It’s paying attention to detail. Sometimes it’s easy to look at the score, say take a pitch off or take an inning off. There's no shot clock in baseball. There’s no timed halves. You continue to play, whether you're up or down."
The Pirates' 66 runs through 10 games are the franchise's most since 1921, and they remain tied for the third-best record in Major League Baseball. Clint Hurdle, as expected, quickly downplayed his club's accomplishments thus far, even after it spoiled the 103rd home opener at Wrigley Field.
But he and his players agreed this performance reflected the identity the Pirates want to have in 2018. Like their 4-2 home stand last week, they tired out another starting pitcher. The Cubs' Tyler Chatwood threw 29 pitches in the second inning and 31 in the third, and he finished with 100 through five, despite having two perfect innings.
The Pirates scored one run on three hits in the second, including an RBI single by Jordy Mercer, and batted around in the third, scoring three runs, two the result of a double by Corey Dickerson. Starling Marte added a solo home run in the fourth.
"Everyone is eager," Dickerson explained. "This is a young group that doesn’t give away at-bats. The adjustments during the game are unbelievable, the way players communicate between each other. It’s not a selfish team. Whenever somebody gets out they come in talking instead of throwing their helmet or getting upset. They’re talking, communicating. We’re feeding off that."
Clubhouse chemistry is a concept the players have spoken about since they arrived at spring training in February. David Freese told reporters the Pirates lacked a winning culture the past two seasons and other veterans, including Harrison, agreed. So, there were extensive discussions between veterans this spring about how to have fun again.
It sounds like a simple concept, yet they thought it was particularly necessary with a young roster. So, Felipe Vázquez began playing more music in the clubhouse. Players participated in a dominos tournament throughout spring training. They wanted to create a more relaxed atmosphere, so communication would come naturally.
It has, particularly in the dugout. Rather than getting upset after recording an out, players are returning to the dugout to talk about what they saw during the at-bat. Players have spoken about that concept for weeks, and they insist that has helped this offense start fast.
Dickerson and Cervelli went a combined 6 for 9 against the Cubs, and Bell went 2 for 5 with two runs. Additionally, all but one starting position player had at least one hit. The Pirates rarely had such a game against the Cubs last season. Although they went 9-10 against their rival, the Pirates batted a combined .234/.317/.405 against Cubs pitchers.
"Collectively we’re getting success as a group," Clint Hurdle said. "Individually, we have some guys that are picking it up. I continue to love watching the reaction of guys for other guys when they’re having their success. They’re playing well together."
That was on full display in the seventh inning. Cubs reliever Mike Montgomery recorded two quick outs before Bell and Dickerson singled. Then, with the Pirates leading 5-2, Cervelli stepped to the plate and hysteria ensued in the first base dugout:
That gave the Pirates the run support they needed. Ivan Nova allowed three runs in seven innings with seven strikeouts. Edgar Santana gave up two runs in the eighth and the Cubs loaded the bases with two outs against Vázquez, but the Pirates' closer got the final four outs to secure the win.
The Pirates are now batting .352 with runners in scoring position after going 6 for 10 against the Cubs and are batting .289 with two outs — the second-highest average in the majors. Players spoke about "grinding out" at-bats, and they're finding it easy to do so because of the chemistry they worked six weeks to build in Bradenton, Fla.
"It’s one of the most even-keel clubhouses I’ve ever been in. Even when we win, it’s not that great of a deal," Dickerson said. "We celebrate it. It’s expected here. When we lose, we don’t get down, because everyone believes in one another. We’re having a lot of fun. When you’re having fun, the game is fun."
1. Nova returned to form when the Pirates needed him.
The overall line isn't immaculate. Nova gave up one run on three hits in the first and a solo home run to Javier Baez in the second. But he was the victim of some bad luck again. Two of the Cubs' three hits in the first were infield singles and the third hit was Kyle Schwarber, a left-hander, lining a ball to the left side of the infield to beat the shift.
Nova responded by pitching four scoreless innings, and he threw 66 of his 102 pitches for strikes. Success came when he began to have a feel for his curveball in the third inning. He used that pitch to strike out Addison Russell in the fourth inning, helping strand a runner on second after a leadoff double.
"It was good," Nova said of his curveball. "In the beginning we didn't have it. We didn't throw it that much. Cervelli kept calling that pitch until we finally got that rhythm with it."
Nova threw 24 curveballs, producing five of his 18 swinging strikes, and the Cubs only put two of them in play. It was his longest outing of the season and his 11th career outing of at least seven innings with no walks.
"The beginning was crazy with the feeling and the curveballs, but this guy figured it out," Cervelli said. "That’s why he’s here and that’s why he’s the No. 1 guy in the rotation."
2. Dickerson the savvy veteran hitter the Pirates needed.
Dickerson, acquired from the Rays in February, is 12 for 25 with five doubles, one triple, one home run and eight RBIs since beginning the season in a 1 for 13 slump. He went 3 for 5 against the Cubs and scored twice. He's now batting .342 in nine games and has provided Josh Bell the type of lineup protection he lacked as a rookie in 2017.
More important, Dickerson has emerged as a leader. Dickerson is usually at the center of those conversations in the dugout. He offers opinions to teammates and isn't afraid to ask questions. And like Bell, he's relentless with his craft, spending extra time in the batting cage. He carefully tapes each of his four bats before each game. It's an obsession for Dickerson, and it's one Hurdle has enjoyed watching.
"The scouting report covers it," Hurdle said of Dickerson. "You just get to see him in your clubhouse. You get to see him work. You get to see the preparation. You get to hear the conversations that are being had in the dugout now. When you start living with people, you have a better appreciation for them or a lack of appreciation for him. We definitely appreciate him."
3. Like Polanco, Marte looking comfortable at the plate.
Marte has been more selective at the plate so far this season. He’s swung at only 19.1 percent of pitches outside the zone — 20 percent less than he did in 2016 — while being more aggressive on pitches inside the zone. Marte showed some hesitation last season, swinging at nearly six percent fewer pitches inside the zone than the previous year. Now, he’s also gotten ahead of the count in 50 percent of his at-bats. His plate discipline has improved, and that’s proven to be important for Marte. He’s a career .218 hitter when facing two strikes and has batted .289 when taking ball one.
He watched a curveball from Chatwood go out of the zone for ball one in the fourth inning before teeing off on this two-seam fastball:
Marte went 1 for 4, scored twice and walked in the third inning. He’s now walked six times in 39 at-bats this season after walking 20 times in 309 at-bats last season.
"We see a lot of pitches the way we’ve been doing it," Cervelli said. "These guys have been aggressive. I’m not like that, but that’s my game to see a lot of pitches. These guys have been aggressive but swinging at good pitches."
4. First encouraging sign against a lefty.
Montgomery, a left-handed reliever, was outstanding for the Cubs last season, posting a 1.20 WHIP in 130 2/3 innings, and left-handers batted only .230 against him in 135 at-bats. So, he seemed to be an ideal reliever to take over for Chatwood in the sixth inning. The Pirates batted just .244/.319/.391 against lefties last season, and they’ve added two additional left-handed bats to their starting lineup in 2018: Dickerson and Colin Moran.
Dickerson has struck out 134 times with only 20 walks in 452 at-bats against southpaws in his career, and Moran didn't fare much better during his time in the minor leagues. But the Pirates jumped on Montgomery in the sixth inning. First, Bell, who's far more polished batting from the left side, singled, followed by Dickerson's single.
Then, Cervelli added the home run. Hurdle gave a glowing review of the Cubs' three lefty relievers, saying Joe Maddon would likely use them against his lineup in the series. Now, Maddon might think twice about playing the matchup game.
5. Weather does matter.
Hurdle has downplayed the impact of playing in cold weather. After all, the Pirates aren’t the only team dealing with a chilly first two weeks of the season. But they’ve already had three weather postponements, and their average first-pitch temperature is 39 degrees. Moran developed a blister on his right index finger. He also doesn’t feel comfortable wearing sleeves but did so again Tuesday because of the cold. Pitchers are having a difficult time trying to grip the ball. It didn’t snow this time, but it was still 43 degrees at first pitch with 5 mph winds.