Pittsburgh Pirates’ centerfielder Oneil Cruz had a massive series against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. Sunday afternoon’s game started with a leadoff home run by Cruz to begin, a game that ended in a 7-6 Pittsburgh loss. The 422-foot blast extended his hitting streak to 11 games, which ties his career high which happened in 2024.
Cruz also collected four hits, stole three bases, drew a walk and scored a run in Saturday’s 4-3 win. In the series opener on Friday, he singled, walked and stole a base.
The results have been so far so good for the 27-year-old, as his homer off of former Pirate Jameson Taillon on Sunday was his fifth of the season. His career high in home runs (21) came in 2024. His five home runs are tied for the most on the team with Brandon Lowe who hit two in the same game Sunday afternoon.
There has been a lot of talk about Cruz defensively and how he might be a liability but there is no question that the lefty is one of the best hitters on the team. He leads the team with 20 hits and leads the team with 13 RBIs.
The last two games the center fielder was at the leadoff spot in the batting lineup and I think that is exactly where he should be. There were a handful of games this season where he batted at the six spot or elsewhere in the lineup but I think having that extra pop at the top of the order is a good thing for the lineup.
Cruz’s hot streak is a very positive sign for the Bucs, as the 27-year-old struggled at the plate in 2025. If he can maintain this level of production, it could be a major boost for the team as they look to improve on their 2025 campaign.
The Pirates start a three-game series back at home against the Washington national Monday night with Paul Skenes on the mound.
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