PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – It was something Greg Brown mentioned to Andrew McCutchen, wouldn’t it be great in honor of him returning, plus AJ Burnett and Russell Martin throwing out the first pitch, if there was a black out at PNC Park.
That suggestion went like a cannonball through traditional and social media. And what this Pirates team saw was a glimpse of what it was like during the first black out, October 1, 2013 when the Pirates beat the Reds in the first Wild Card Game in team history and first postseason appearance in 21 years.
“To bring it back for a day, even if it’s April 7,” McCutchen said. “It’s neat. I’m looking forward to my team and experiencing something only I’ve experienced in this ballpark on this club. It’s a moment that we are going to be able to live in.”
For manager Derek Shelton is was about rewarding the play in Boston and the rare sweep at Fenway Park. Shelton proud of how his team handled the opposing noise and was hoping for them to be rewarded at PNC Park. They were with a sellout crowd of 39,167. The largest crowd since April 3, 2016.
That first blackout game is more commonly referred to as the Cueto game. When Reds pitcher Johnny Cueto dropped a ball and on the next pitch Russell Martin hit the first of his two home runs which sent the already crazy crowd into a frenzy.
“It’s incredible,” said Pirates outfielder Canaan Smith-Njigba. “It’s something I asked Cutch what it was like when they were chanting ‘Cueto’. He said it was incredible. The atmosphere is second to none. I’m from Dallas, I didn’t watch the Pirates that much, I only heard the stories, I can’t wait to be a part of it.”
“When we walk out to the bullpen every day, I hear the ‘Cueto, Cueto’ chant,” said Pirates reliever Chase DeJong. “We all know exactly what that is.”
“It definitely feels different than the past two Opening Days I’ve been a part of here,” said Pirates David Bednar. “It’s definitely special. It’s special because Cutch is back. I think everybody feels that energy and the whole city is getting behind it.”
“It’s a moment we are going to want more of,” McCutchen said. “Why not get a small taste of what it can be like here and give the guys something to want to go after?”