It looked so familiar for these Pirates, but they saw it with fresh eyes.
Almost exactly 24 hours after this scene, capping one of the most extraordinary regular-season baseball games ever played in Pittsburgh, there was an inconceivable sequel before a raucous PNC Park, not to mention another national TV audience.
“Last night was a classic game,” Clint Hurdle said. “And you back it up with another one.”
Like Saturday night, the Pirates pushed back from a multi-run deficit late, but the details were different enough to make Sunday’s stunner easily stand alone. Most notably, instead of former MVP Andrew McCutchen putting a flourish on an extra-inning rally with a walkoff home run, it was yearling Gregory Polanco saddening St. Louis with a bases-loaded two-out liner to right field that completed a three-run 10th inning and a 6-5 victory.
“I got it,” Polanco said, recalling his immediate thoughts after the most critical hit of his 173-game career. “I was so excited.”
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