It doesn’t happen very often — in fact, hadn’t happened for a Cub since Willson Contreras did it June 19, 2016, also against the Pirates — but a player coming to the plate for the first time in the major leagues and hitting a home run is an exciting thrill for both the player and fans watching the event.
So it was for Christopher Morel, making his major-league debut Tuesday evening against the Pirates at Wrigley Field, pinch-hitting for Patrick Wisdom. Morel watched a slider go by and swung at another one. Those were strikes one and two, then Morel worked the count full.