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Pittsburgh Pirates center fielder Oneil Cruz got a crucial two-run homer to help his team pull off a narrow 4-3 victory against the Miami Marlins at LoanDepot Arena on Friday evening. As a result, the Pirates registered their first win of the 2025 season after losing to the Marlins on Opening Day.
Starting pitcher Jared Jones celebrated the performance of his teammate with a special mention for the left-handed slugger on social media. Jones will have a delayed start to the season after he was placed on the 15-day IL due to a UCL strain and might even be ruled out for six weeks.
The Pirates went ahead after scoring two runs in the fourth inning through an RBI double from the veteran Andrew McCutchen and a sac fly from the bat of second baseman Adam Frazier. The Marlins failed to respond, so the visiting team had a 2-0 lead when Oneil Cruz came up to bat in the fifth inning with one out and a runner on second base.
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On a 0-1 count, Marlins starting pitcher Connor Gillespie delivered a low slider at 81 mph over the middle of the plate, which hung right in the swinging arc of the tall left-hander. He launched a vicious line drive with an exit velocity of 115 mph, which dropped over the right field corner fence for a two-run home run that put the Pirates up by four runs.
Raise it," Jared Jones posted on his Instagram account with an image of Oneil Cruz in his follow-through of the swing.
Oneil Cruz had the hardest-hit ball of the 2024 season, which was recorded at 121.5 mph. He had the third highest average exit velocity in the MLB, with only Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani finishing ahead of him.
"I think it's a game changer": Pirates manager on the performance of Oneil Cruz
Pittsburgh Pirates manager Derek Shelton commended the strong performance of Oneill Cruz in their second game of the series against the Miami Marlins on Friday evening. Shelton credited Cruz for bouncing back after a costly defensive error on Opening Day.
"He played well," Shelton said. "He made a mistake yesterday. He's going to make mistakes, and that stuff is going to happen. To bounce back, have good at-bats, hit the homer, and even the last at-bat off the lefty was a really good swing."
"Tremendous impact," he added. "I think it's a game changer."
Cruz played 146 games for the Pirates in 2024, but he was removed from his defensive duties at shortstop and transitioned into a centerfielder just before the end of the campaign. He posted a .259/.324/.449 slash line last season with 21 home runs, 76 RBIs, and an OPS+ of 113.
