5 things to know about 2023 Pirates' home opener

Tribune-Review
Friday, April 7, 2023 6:01 a.m. | Friday, April 7, 2023 6:01 a.m.

Christopher Horner | Tribune-Review

Teams stand for the national anthem before the Pirates home opener against the Cubs on April 12, 2022, at PNC Park.

Donnie Iris and the Cruisers rock the stage at the Roxian Theatre on Oct. 9, 2021.

Andrew McCutchen, A.J. Burnett, Russell Martin and an expected sold-out crowd decked out in black jerseys and T-shirts should make for quite a spectacle at the Pirates’ home opener Friday.

There will be plenty to see and enjoy before the Pirates (4-2) take the field to face the Chicago White Sox (3-4) at 4:12 p.m. at PNC Park.

Here are five things to know before the Pirates host the first of 81 games this season:

The matchup

Pirates lefty Rich Hill (0-1, 5.40 ERA) will get the start against Chicago’s Lucas Giolito (0-0, 3.60 ERA). Hill allowed three runs on three hits with two walks and seven strikeouts in five innings of a 6-2 defeat last week in Cincinnati. The 43-year old is 0-3 with a 5.79 ERA in 19 appearances (five starts) against the White Sox.

'A great memory': Rich Hill to start Pirates home opener 6 years after near no-hitter

(Via TribLive) https://t.co/6Dnyqz7msH

— Kevin Gorman (@KevinGormanPGH) April 6, 2023

Friday will mark McCutchen’s first game at PNC Park in a Pirates uniform since 2017. He was traded to the San Francisco Giants before the 2018 season and also has played for the Yankees, Phillies and Brewers. The Pirates signed McCutchen to a one-year, $5 million deal in January, leading to much excitement among the Bucs fanbase.

Christopher Horner | Tribune-Review

Pirates center fielder Andrew McCutchen hits a two-run homer during the first inning against the Mets on May 23, 2015, at PNC Park.

Expect to see quite a few No. 22 jerseys at sold-out PNC Park.

'This is where I needed to be': Andrew McCutchen revels in PNC Park return as a Pirate

(Via TribLive) https://t.co/BDJ0skJvWn

— Kevin Gorman (@KevinGormanPGH) April 6, 2023

The game will be broadcast on AT&T SportsNet in Pittsburgh and on the radio on 93.7 The Fan.

Here’s a look at the Pirates starting lineup:

The Home Opener is here!

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???? 93.7 The Fan | The PRN#LetsGoBucs pic.twitter.com/kaNAQ8Vow1

— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) April 7, 2023

Getting in the ballpark

The North Shore will be buzzing Friday, so take notice of how to get in and out of the stadium on Federal Street on the North Shore.

• Gates open an hour and a half before the 4:12 p.m. starting time, and the Pirates say there will be minimal delays getting in the stadium one hour before first pitch. Those delays increase to moderate 30 minutes before the game begins and heavy around 15 minutes prior to game time.

• Digital tickets offer easy and contactless entry, so have your tickets on your mobile device readily available on the MLB Ballpark app or by using your Apple Wallet. Mobile screenshots of tickets are no longer accepted at PNC Park.

• PNC Park is completely cashless. Credit and debit cards are accepted as well as Apple/Google Pay. A reverse ATM also is available in sections 119 and 319 to convert cash to a pre-paid Mastercard.

• There are several parking lots and parking garages surrounding PNC Park (Gold 1 lot, Gold 1 garage, Gold 2 lot, Gold 4 lot, Red 5 garage, Red 5A lot, Red 6 lot, Blue 10 garage, Red 7A lot and Red 7C lot).

PNC Park and Waze, a navigation app, have partnered to provide the most efficient routes to and from the game. Waze can provide information on PNC Park parking lots, event-day traffic patterns and street closures. It has real-time traffic alerts.

Download the free app from Apple’s App store and Google Play.

• Parking also is located in Downtown Pittsburgh. However, the typical pedestrian crossing of the Roberto Clemente Bridge is closed during construction and won’t reopen until after the 2023 season. Fans can instead walk across the Andy Warhol Bridge (7th Street Bridge).

There also are bus service stops and light rail transit stops on the North Shore, close to the PNC Park entrances.

• Fans are permitted to bring one bag into the ballpark (purses, fanny packs, backpacks, etc.) provided that the bag is soft-sided and 16-by-6-by-8 inches or smaller. Bags exceeding these dimensions will not be permitted inside the ballpark. All bags are subject to search.

• The long lines to get into PNC Park should move more quickly at Friday’s home opener. The Pirates have installed a new technology called Evolv at all gates, which speeds up entry to one person per second. As people walk through, it will detect anything shaped like a weapon or explosive, Pirates president Travis Williams said Tuesday during a media tour to showcase what’s new at PNC Park.

“This technology gives us a better entrance into the ballpark without sacrificing any of the safety features,” Williams said. “It allows people to walk through without any stopping. It picks up on any threats out there and may seek out shape of weaponry or explosive devices, and those people will be picked out and checked and wanded.”

JoAnne Klimovich Harrop | Tribune-Review

The Pirates have installed a new technology called Evolv at all gates. It speeds up the entry at one person per second. As people walk through, it is designed to detect anything shaped like a weapon or explosive. Limited testing last season had proven to reduce long lines.

What you need to know before the @Pirates home opener. pic.twitter.com/jv9I5O4mmn

— PNC Park Events (@PNCParkEvents) April 6, 2023

Pregame celebrity sightings

A popular battery will get things started Friday afternoon when A.J. Burnett throws out the ceremonial first pitch to former teammate Russell Martin.

Burnett helped the Pirates reach the playoffs in 2013 and ‘15, compiling a record of 35-28 with a 3.34 ERA.

Martin smacked a memorable home run during the 2013 Wild Card game, lifting the Bucs into the Division Series.

Russell Martin hits a home run off Johnny Cueto during the 2013 National League Wild Card Game between the Pirates and Cincinnati Reds at PNC Park on October 1, 2013 pic.twitter.com/CMsSFtY2Wt

— Pittsburgh Pirates History (@HistoryPirates) October 1, 2021

Governor Josh Shapiro also will throw out an honorary first pitch, and season ticket holders will unfurl the American flag.

The Pirates also plan to recognize Pittsburgh’s fallen police offers.

Did you know?

• After a 1-2 start against the Reds, the Pirates swept the Boston Red Sox to improve to 4-2. It’s their best start to a season since going 5-1 in 2018.

• The Pirates are playing an American League team in the home opener for the third time. They faced Detroit in 2015 and Minnesota in 2018.

• Pittsburgh has a 9-12 record in home openers at PNC Park.

• Outfielder Bryan Reynolds has started the season hot with four home runs, including a 7-for-12 effort with three homers and five RBIs against the Red Sox.

• Closer David Bednar had three saves in the team’s first five games, the first Pirate to accomplish that feat since Joel Hanrahan in 2011.

What’s new at PNC Park

As always, one of the most anticipated parts of the home opener is seeing the new menu offerings at PNC Park.

The Trib’s JoAnne Klimovich Harrop detailed some of the new treats earlier this week.

New food items include a Nashville hot chicken sandwich with roasted garlic ranch aioli and pierogies with garlic-chive butter, roasted shallots and pulled pork barbecue. A Bucco crunch dog will have a Red Ripper Frank, onions and deli brown mustard on a potato roll. Pickle curds — fried cheese curds with sweet pickles and dill ranch — are another new menu item.

The Pirates also announced a partnership with Caliente Pizza & Draft House, a locally owned pizza restaurant that will serve Sicilian, pepperoni and cheese pizza slices in Sections 114, 123, 305 and 318.