PITTSBURGH – It was a scene right out “The Natural” as Phoenix’s Cole Tucker came to the plate in the bottom the fifth for the Pittsburgh Pirates in a tie game Saturday.
As storm clouds gathered, a lightning bolt lit up the sky. Moments later, Tucker hit a two-run homer for his first hit in his first major-league game, giving the Pirates a 3-1, rain-shortened win over San Francisco.
Tucker, the Pirates’ No. 1 pick (24th overall) in the 2014 draft out of Mountain Pointe High School, has been the toast of the Steel City since his Saturday “Roy Hobbs” moment.