Andrew McCutchen Delivering More Than Just Nostalgia (+)

PITTSBURGH — Even though the Pittsburgh Pirates defeated the Chicago White Sox in their home opener on Friday, the biggest storyline was probably the return of Andrew McCutchen to PNC Park.

The hype surrounding McCutchen’s return was boosted even further during pregame ceremonies. Former teammates A.J. Burnett and Russell Martin came back for the opener for the first pitch and McCutchen’s mom sang the National Anthem as she did before the 2013 Wild Card game.

As expected, McCutchen received a lengthy ovation during both his pregame introduction and when he stepped into the batter’s box for the first time.