PITTSBURGH — In the end it'll go down as a third-inning single, but anyone who saw it will remember it differently.
In Wednesday's game against the Atlanta Braves, Pirates shortstop Oneil Cruz stepped up against Braves right-hander Kyle Wright and got a first-pitch slider over the heart of the plate. Many hitters punish hanging breaking balls. None have ever done it with quite the ferocity of Cruz.
He crushed it on a line drive to right. If Roberto Clemente had worn the No. 17, it would have been gone, since the right-field wall at PNC Park is 21 feet tall to honor Clemente. With that, the ball smacked against the top of that wall, and Cruz was held to an impressive single.
