CHICAGO — When the ball left Francisco Cervelli's bat, Josh Harrison ran toward the padded railing in the first base dugout at Wrigley Field and watched excitedly as the ball landed in the left-center field bleachers. Harrison banged on the padding, celebrated with teammates, then hopped on top of the new elevated wooden bench in the dugout, raising his arms in the air as Cervelli crossed home plate.
"Oh, yeah," he said Tuesday afternoon, smiling after that decisive three-run homer led the Pirates to an 8-5 victory over the Cubs. "They're never out of a game here. You have to pounce on them. That's what you have to do. So, yeah, I was excited. Big hit."
Harrison, now the Pirates' longest-tenured player, knows the Cubs well. They're two-time Central Division champions and were World Series champions two seasons ago. And they achieved that, Harrison said, by playing relentless baseball while having fun along the way. So, watching as his teammates displayed both traits in front of a crowd of 40,144 provoked a prideful and emotional reaction from Harrison.
After all, it helped give the Pirates their first 8-2 start since 1992, as well as a three-game lead over the Cubs, and it was a small sign that all he and his fellow veterans tried to instill in this young group in the offseason is beginning to take root.
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