{"id":651441,"date":"2026-03-29T23:55:18","date_gmt":"2026-03-29T23:55:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/651441\/"},"modified":"2026-03-29T23:55:18","modified_gmt":"2026-03-29T23:55:18","slug":"pirates-broadcasters-call-out-oneil-cruzs-lackadaisical-effort","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/651441\/","title":{"rendered":"Pirates broadcasters call out Oneil Cruz’s ‘lackadaisical’ effort"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Pittsburgh Pirates have one of the bright young stars in all of baseball in ace Paul Skenes. Unfortunately for Pittsburgh, the\u00a0reigning NL Cy Young winner was chased early in his Opening Day start against the New York Mets<\/a>, getting pulled after only recording two outs and giving up five earned runs.<\/p>\n

After posting an ERA of 1.96 in each of his first two seasons, the likelihood is that Skenes will get things back on track soon, and veteran sportswriter Tom Verducci thinks so highly of his talent that he predicted the Pirates to make the postseason as a Wild Card team<\/a> if they can give Skenes and the pitching staff just average run support.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think all they need is just mediocre offense. This pitching staff is loaded. It\u2019s not just Paul Skenes; it\u2019s [Braxton] Ashcraft, it\u2019s [Jared] Jones, it\u2019s a deep bullpen,\u201d Verducci said before the season.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey will be an 87-win team and go to the postseason,\u201d Verducci added.<\/p>\n

However, Pirates owner Bob Nutting has overseen an aggressively cost-controlled roster for years now, an especially head-scratching position for the club to take with a talent like Skenes on the staff. Pittsburgh\u2019s roster building this winter was more in line with a team actually trying to win a pennant, signing Ryan O\u2019Hearn and Marcell Ozuna while trading with the Tampa Bay Rays to acquire Brandon Lowe and Jake Mangum.<\/p>\n

Even with the additions, Pirates players will have to bring maximum effort, game in and game out, to have a chance at playing deep into the Fall, which SportsNet Pittsburgh broadcasters Greg Brown<\/a> and Matt Capps\u00a0seem well aware of.<\/p>\n

On Sunday, center fielder Oneil Cruz fielded a fly-out, looking almost like he wasn\u2019t interested in being on the field, which might have allowed a tag from first from Mets Bretty Baty to tag from first, and the booth called out Cruz\u2019s effort immediately.<\/p>\n

\u201c[You] do want to see a little bit more enthusiasm to get the ball in,\u201d Capps said after Cruz lollipopped the ball back into the infield.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, Brett Beatty, if he had tagged, he probably is at second base, but he decided not to advance. A little lackadaisical on Cruz\u2019s part not to get the ball in. Ball one,\u201d Brown added.<\/p>\n

Pirates broadcasters share their concern about Oneil Cruz\u2019s \u201clackadaisical\u201d effort on Sunday. pic.twitter.com\/nl1FjiRFR5<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) March 29, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

The Pirates went on to win Sunday\u2019s contest in extra innings, bringing them to 1-2 to start the year, avoiding what would\u2019ve been a brutal three-game deficit in the win column to start the season. Still, with Skenes struggling out of the gate, they certainly can\u2019t afford to give anything other than maximum effort moving forward.<\/p>\n

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