PIRATES

It didn't appear as if Oneil Cruz was swinging for the fences or trying to do too much in the Pirates' 4-3 extra-inning win over the Cubs this afternoon at Wrigley Field. 

He simply took what Edward Cabrera gave him in his first three at-bats and turned that into three singles at the top of the Pirates' order. Then, when he reached base, he showed off the wheels and ran at will, stealing a career-high three bases and causing havoc on the basepaths. 

In the eyes of Don Kelly, Cruz looks to be operating more freely. 

"He looks like he's going out there having fun, playing baseball and allowing his talent to play out," Kelly said of Cruz, the first Pirate to collect four hits and steal three bases in a game since Matt Lawton in 2005. "I think he's just proving that he worked his tail off this offseason and did what he needed to do to come in ready to play. Came into camp really good, went and had a really good WBC for Dominican and then during the season, has continued to get better. I mean, those were great swings he put on the ball and then the stolen bases, too. He's playing great baseball."

Cruz, the first player in Major League Baseball to have four hits and three stolen bases in a game since Elly De La Cruz in 2024, is currently riding a 10-game hitting streak, which stands as the longest active streak in MLB. During that stretch, he's produced four multi-hit performances and is hitting .415 with four home runs and 12 RBIs. He's one game shy of matching his career-long streak established in 2024. 

"It’s more being mentally focused," Cruz said about his recent performance via interpreter and major-league coach Stephen Morales. "I definitely know what I want this year. (I have) personal goals. Not even my dad or anybody in my family knows. But I have some personal goals that I’m gonna keep to myself that I want to achieve this year."