It is a good day to be a Pittsburgh Pirates fan! They have finally made it to the playoffs and already won a game in October. Yesterday, the Bucs hosted division rival Cincinnati for a National League Wild Card game. These fans have waited a LONG time to see their team make it this far. To get the crowd even further pumped up for the game, the Pirates had a special guest sing the National Anthem. Andrew McCutchen’s mother, Petrina, sang “The Star-Spangled Banner” in front of a record breaking 40,487 fans. Afterwards she hugged her son and wished him good luck in the biggest game of his career. McCutchen is loved in Pittsburgh for never turning his back on the team that drafted him and always playing with all he had.
She must have brought the Bucs luck as they dominated the Reds with Russell Martin hitting two home runs and Francisco Liriano only giving up one run. The crowd also played a role in the win knocking Reds’ pitcher Johnny Cueto out of the game in the fourth inning with their incessant cheering. It was a great game and a great win for a team who has a generation of fans who never saw their team play in October! Next the Pirates will take on the St. Louis Cardinals.
