It was the kind of swing that takes a certain level of confidence, the kind Polanco might not have had a few months ago.
"He's gotten to the point now where he's not afraid of failure. He's going to go ahead, see what he sees, believe what he believes and get his swing off," Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. "It's just fun to watch him play with confidence."
The fact that Polanco was even in that spot, batting leadoff against a left-hander, was a display of Hurdle's belief in Polanco. Hurdle said as much before Friday's game, but Polanco has earned his manager's trust.