BOSTON -- Dauri Moreta has been thrown into the fire in each of his first three Pirates outings, inheriting five runners on base and at least one in scoring position each time.
Each time, he has gotten out of the jam without allowing a run.
Each time, he has celebrated coming off of the mound. That includes Tuesday at Fenway Park when he came on with two outs and two on and got Adam Duvall, one of the hottest hitters in the game, to strike out looking, helping to kill a rally and put the Pirates in a good position to win, 4-1:
Ok, now just the celebration, since that what you clicked on this article for:
Here it is, uninterrupted, in all of its glory:
— 1979 Pirates (@domdidominic) April 5, 2023
"Yeah, I would say he’s got a little bit of juice," Derek Shelton said.
You know what, let's bend the rules of Freeze Frame and look beyond what just happened today. These celebrations leaving the mound after a big spot have just been fun. Here are his greatest hits against the Reds:
Bottom of the 6th with two outs, and A King Was Born pic.twitter.com/ywDEux3e70
— Cannonauri Cormoreta (@CannonballCrner) March 31, 2023
I’m not entirely sure if he’s good but man Dauri Moreta is cool pic.twitter.com/TVzU90y4Ka
— \/inny 🅱️uffone (@Veno202) March 31, 2023
When I chatted with Moreta after that Reds game, I assumed he was just amped up to face his former club that traded him. A little payback for letting him go. But after that outing Tuesday, I asked if it's the moment that's getting him amped up.
Not really. It's the team.
"I love to play on this team," Moreta told me, putting plenty of emphasis on this. "I love this team. I can't explain it right now. The adrenaline is different."
Hey, if he keeps getting out of these fireman spots, he can keep celebrating.