Pirates' Griffin Shines in Home Opener Win

It's April 3rd.

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Pittsburgh pirates kicked off their home schedule in style, beating the Baltimore Orioles

5-4 at PNC Park.

Rookie Shorestop Connor Griffin made his big league debut a memorable one, starting as

short and delivering right away with an RBI double in his first.

At bat, a sell-out crowd of 38,986 fans watched the pirates snap a two-year home opener,

Griffin didn't stop there, showing off his wheels with a blazing sprint speed of nearly 30 feet per second to score another run.

Plus, he drew his.

First MLB walk and turned a slick double play on defense.

Meanwhile, starter Mitch Keller kept it steady, tossing six innings with just two earned runs in a 1.50 ERA so far this season.

Leaning on his fastball and sweeper, fans were hyped, roaring as the pirates built a four-run lead early,

ending those back-to-back home opener losses from the past two years.

The team now sits at four wins and three losses, taking four of their last five games after series wins over the Mets and Reds.

The second inning proved huge, with Griffin sparking a four-run explosion, including doubles and singles that chased the Orioles starter.

The bullpen wobbled late but closed it out, with Gregory Soto nailing the save despite a solo homer,

while Mason Montgomery struck out a key batter, too.

Hold the line.

Pirates got to keep this momentum rolling if they want playoff talk for real.

Their young bats and Keller's arm look ready to carry them deep into the summer.