Pirates home opener gets played in middle of insane April snow

It doesn’t seem as if the old saying “April showers bring May flowers” accounted for snow.

But that’s what happened in Pittsburgh during Friday afternoon’s Pirates home opener against the Orioles at PNC Park as the game was blessed by a snowstorm throughout play.

It’s a rarity, given that baseball is played from the spring through the fall, but it’s happened before in the sport and Pittsburgh, as the Pirates even played through snow at their home park in 2018.

It’s not foreign to Pirates fans who support the NFL’s Steelers or for Orioles fans who root for the Ravens, though seeing it on the diamond is unique.

As the snow fell on and off throughout the contest, the SportsNet Pittsburgh announcers made note of the wintry feel, pointing out Jack Suwinski reveling in the precipitation.

“Jack Suwinski, he’s a Chicago native — he’s used to this,” play-by-play man Greg Brown said.

Orioles starter Grayson Rodriguez added that the experience was not something he’s used to, given where he was born.

“I’m from Texas and I don’t see snow too often,” Rodriguez said, per the AP, “but it was a lot of fun to experience that.”

“It wasn’t too bad,” Pirates hurler Jared Jones said of the snow. “Adrenaline kicked in and that’s what kind of helped me out a little bit. But it was more interesting than anything.”

As part of the eventful game, rising star O’Neil Cruz belted the Pirates’ first home run of the season at PNC Park.

But unfortunately for the home Pirates, they lost to the Orioles, 5-2, in the home opener, though they still remain a solid 6-2.

The Orioles record improves to 5-2.

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Bryan Fonseca

April 6, 2024 12:38 am