Raising It!!! with the Pittsburgh Pirates

Raise that Jolly Roger! That’s right, PNC Park is one of the most gorgeous ball parks I have ever been to (take that with a grain of salt, I haven’t been to many yet). It fits in with the rest of Pittsburgh which is just a wonderful and pretty city.

I arrived in Pittsburgh late on Tuesday the 18th. After getting to my friend’s house I drove into the city for dinner on the Strip. The Strip is a part of the city that used to be an industrious part of the city full of warehouses. These buildings have been refurbished and turned into restaurants, storefronts, and apartments! After checking out the revitalized Strip I made my way up to Mt. Washington to catch a view of the entire city. It was breathtaking. The city on which the Ohio, Allegheny, and Monongahela Rivers meet is stunning and worth your time.

The real reason you should visit Pittsburgh is PNC Park. The Pirates as a team are slightly underwhelming, unless you get lucky and catch a Paul Skenes start, who is a rookie pitching phenom. O’Neil Cruz, their 6’7'‘ power-speed shortstop, is also a draw but his game is still a work in progress. The view from the infield is unbelievable. The city and iconic Roberto Clemente Bridge make up a one of a kind back drop when looking towards the outfield. And the food is next level. Manny’s BBQ is worth a visit for their pulled pork sandwich.

During the game I jumped around the ball park and was trying to find new views. I also had to stop by the first base line to say hi to my friend Sajen who was working as a ball boy. I ended up sitting along the first-base line for a few innings. From there I got to see just how large and athletic O’Neil Cruz and Elly De La Cruz (of the Reds) are.

The two starters were Mitch Keller for the Pirates and Hunter Greene for the Reds. I knew with these two that it would be a good game for pitching, I did not realize I was going to be treated to a pitching duel. Both starters went at least 6 innings with Keller going 7 while only allowing two hits each. Greene ended up using his 100mph fastball to rack up 9 strike outs, pure dominance. The game defining play came with two outs in the bottom of the eighth. Pittsburgh Pirate, Bryan Reynolds hit an absolute bomb to center field to score the only run of the game.

Here’s to hoping for more offense in Cleveland tomorrow!