Watch Kris Bryant’s ‘little league home run’
PITTSBURGH — Kris Bryant is living up to the hype in the early days of what many expect will be a distinguished career.
The third baseman, playing in his fourth game, hit a tiebreaking two-run double in the seventh inning as he finished with three hits and three RBIs to lead the Chicago Cubs to a 5-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Monday night.
Bryant is 6-for-15 (.400) with four RBIs in four games since his much-anticipated call up last Friday from Triple-A Iowa. He led all major leaguers with nine home runs during spring training.
“He’s doing a nice job and there’s a really nice slow heartbeat going on right now,” Chicago manager Joe Maddon said. “He’s just out there playing the game really like I thought he would coming out of spring training.”
Bryant was a spring sensation as he led all major leaguers with nine home runs in exhibition play.
He came through Monday in a game that counted.
After right fielder Jorge Soler doubled and first baseman Anthony Rizzo walked with one out in the seventh, Bryant hit a drive to the base of the wall in left-center field off reliever Arquimedes Caminero (0-1) to score both runners.
Bryant scored on the same play when he took third on the throw home then came home when catcher Francisco Cervelli missed the ball.
“As someone that’s just been here a few days, it feels good to be able to help the team get a win,” Bryant said. “Those are the situations you definitely want to excel in.”
It looked for a moment that Bryant had hit his first home run but the ball held up in the damp night air.
“People told me it’s Death Valley to left-center field (at PNC Park),” Bryant said. “At least I got a Little League home run out of it. I got to run all the way around the bases. I don’t think I’ve ever had one of those before.”
Bryant hit an RBI single in the fifth inning to tie it at 1-1.