Gregory Polanco didn't wait long for his pitch this time. He stood in the batter's box, saw a first-pitch fastball and swung, striking the ball with the barrel of his bat using an uppercut swing. The ball soared through the sky, landing 421 feet away for a two-run homer in the fifth inning Thursday night.
The hit was one of nine for the Pirates in a 5-2 victory in the first of a four-game series against the Reds at PNC Park, and it was Polanco's second home run of the season. It was yet another display of the long, fluid swing that was slowed during his injury-plagued season in 2017. However, it illustrated so much more about the man who has been the catalyst for the offense through six games.
"He’s 26. He’s not 22, he’s not 23," Clint Hurdle said of Polanco. "He gets it. The man that was the face of the franchise left town and was traded. And it's time for some guys to put some things in. I think Gregory has accepted the opportunity. I think [Starling] Marte has accepted the opportunity. I think [Corey] Dickerson is here to play and do something as special, as well. We have a bunch of guys. Why not now? Why not their time?"
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