BRADENTON, Fla. — Prior to his post game press gathering Friday, Clint Hurdle cracked a joke to his buddy Mike ‘Doc’ Emrick, the NBC hockey broadcaster who was seated behind home plate for a 12-9 Pirates win over the Braves at LECOM Park.
“Good day to hit,” Hurdle boomed. “You might’ve been able to hit one!”
No doubt the balmy conditions — complete with a touch of breeze blowing from left to right — aided at least a couple of the 11 home runs cracked in the game. With a reasonable facsimile of what could be their opening day lineup on the field, the Pirates blasted five of those dingers, including impressive shots by Josh Bell, Gregory Polanco, and Elias Díaz.