Pirates beat Cardinals in season opener behind Francisco Liriano's 10 Ks
PITTSBURGH — Gerrit Cole is the undisputed ace of the Pittsburgh Pirates’ rotation.
The 25-year-old right-hander gained that distinction by winning 19 games last year in just his second full major league season.
However, veteran left-hander Francisco Liriano pitched like a No. 1 starter Sunday as the Pirates beat the St. Louis Cardinals 4-1 in the opening game of the 2016 Major League Baseball season at PNC Park.
Liriano struck out 10 in six scoreless innings and also drove in the game’s first run with the first of consecutive RBI singles in the second inning with John Jaso to give the Pirates a 2-0 lead.
Liriano (1-0) tied the franchise record for strikeouts on opening day while allowing three hits and walking five. The left-hander also had 10 strikeouts against the Chicago Cubs in 2014 to join a list that includes Bob Veale (1965), John Candelaria (1983) and A.J. Burnett (2013).
“His stuff is always nasty but it was really nasty today,” Pirates catcher Francisco Cervelli said. “He hides the ball so well that it makes it so hard to pick up his pitches. That’s why he’s one of the toughest pitchers to hit --- and one of the toughest to catch, too.”
Cole was slowed at the start of spring training by inflammation in his ribcage and did not make his first Grapefruit League appearance until March 12. The Pirates decided to have pitch six innings Saturday in a minor league game at Bradenton, Fla., rather than have him start Sunday on a blustery 39-degree day.
That Liriano was the first winning pitcher of the season wasn’t a surprise as he improved to 6-2 lifetime against the Cardinals. However, no one could have expected him to have the first RBI of 2016.
“Frank can surprise you sometimes,” Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said of Liriano, a .125 lifetime hitter.
Liriano became the first Pirates pitcher to start three consecutive openers since Doug Drabek from 1990-92.
“On opening day, you’re always a little nervous, a little anxious, a little excited,” Liriano said. “Then you just have to relax and have some fun.”
Starting for the Cardinals on opening day for a fifth straight year, Adam Wainwright did not have as much fun as he allowed three runs and six hits in six innings. It was his first start since last April 25 when he ruptured his left Achilles tendon, though he did return to pitch in relief during the final week of the regular season and in the postseason.
“When you pitch against a quality pitcher like Liriano you’ve got to have your stuff rolling,” Wainwright said. “I was the definition of average today, which is the opposite of what I expect to be.”
The National League Central rivals had the two best regular-season records in the major leagues last season, the Cardinals going 100-62 and the Pirates finishing 98-64.
Yet neither team has generated as much buzz as another team in their division.
The Chicago Cubs have been installed as the favorites to win the World Series by the oddsmakers after going 97-65 last season for the third-best record in baseball but also third place in the NL Central.
The Cubs were the kings of the offseason, spending $272 million in free agency to sign right fielder Jason Heyward and right-hander John Lackey --- who both played for the Cardinals last season --- along with second baseman Ben Zobrist.
The Cubs’ narrative is too juicy to pass up when you throw in the fact that they haven’t won the World Series since 1908 or even been to the Fall Classic since 1945. The Cubs also beat the Pirates and Cardinals in the postseason last year
Thus, the Cardinals and Pirates have been almost reduced to afterthoughts.
In St. Louis’ case, it is hard to remember the last time a team coming off a 100-win season generated so little fanfare the next spring. It is almost as if the Cardinals have to remind people that they are the three-time defending division champion.
“The Cubs are the favorites this year, the people’s choice,” third baseman Matt Carpenter said. “A lot of people aren’t giving us much of a chance, even in Vegas the odds of us of winning the World Series aren’t great.
“It’s a different situation for us. We’re the ones used to having the targets on our backs. That’s fine with us, though. We’ve never been the type of team or organization to really worry about what those on the outside think. We just worry about taking care of our own business.”
The Pirates revel in being underdogs, even though they have finished second to the Cardinals in the division each of the last three seasons and played in the NL wild card game each year. The Pirates say they aren’t bothered about the Cubs getting all the attention.
“We expect it,” center fielder Andrew McCutchen said. “The Cubs had a good team last year and they made big moves in the winter. They’re the big story.
“Nobody ever picks us to win anyway. It’s no big deal. We’ll go out and play the games and see where everyone is at (in the standings) at the end of the season. We feel like we can be right there with anybody.”