CINCINNATI — If the Pirates are going to achieve their big-picture goal this season — essentially to play a better brand of baseball and start winning games — the recipe they deployed on opening day in Cincinnati is a keeper.
They got on base, which was a focus of the offseason. They were active on the bases. They also manufactured a run at a key time and minimized their margin for error, sprinkling in a couple key plays along the way.
The result was a feel-good, well-played 5-4 victory on Thursday against the Reds at Great American Ball Park, one that became possible when the Pirates slipped in front with a key run without a hit in the eighth inning.
