Oneil Cruz Shouldn't Take Blame for Pirates Latest Mistake
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PITTSBURGH — Oneil Cruz has struggled at times in center field for the Pittsburgh Pirates, but a recent mistake wasn't one he was fully culpable for.
Cruz played in center field with Bryan Reynolds in left field in their 8-3 win over the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park on March 31, where they both hit well, but had a misstep in the outfield.
Reds third baseman Ke'Bryan Hayes hit a fly ball in the bottom of the third inning to deep center field that both Reynolds and Cruz went for, which ended up falling between both players, as they avoided a big collision.
Lord help me. pic.twitter.com/3qxW87Sm1I
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) March 31, 2026
While it's easy to blame Cruz for another mistake in the outfield, as he made two poor plays on Opening Day vs. the New York Mets, bringing home four runs in the first inning, he's not mainly responsible for the mistake.
Cruz is the center field and has the authority to call off a corner outfielder and that's when Reynolds should've pulled off and let him make the play. Reynolds did end up taking the error on the mistake as well.
It was also smarter for Cruz to make the catch anyways, as there were two base runners on and Cruz has the stronger arm to potentially throw someone out.
Cruz spoke after the game and took responsibility, saying that he and Reynolds were going for it and calling for it, but that they messed up and need better communication going forward.
"We were both going really hard after the ball and we were both calling for the ball and we got there at the same time," Cruz said through interpreter Stephen Morales in a video from DK Pittsburgh Sports. "Those things happen sometimes and you just have to get better at it."
Cruz and Reynolds Make Up for Mistake
While the mistake in the outfield was not how they planned their night going, both Cruz and Reynolds finally got going from the plate in 2026.
Reynolds hit a solo home run in the top of the third inning, marking his first of the season and the 139th home run of his Pirates career, tied for ninth in franchise history with outfielder Jason Bay (2004-08).
Cruz would hit two home runs, a solo home run in the top of the fourth inning and then a two-run home run in the top of the ninth inning to seal the win.
It marked Cruz's third multi-home run game of his career and first since he had two home runs in a 12-1 blowout of the New York Mets at PNC Park on June 29, 2025.
Cruz also finished with three hits, his first game doing so since he had three hits in a 9-5 loss to the Chicago Cubs at PNC Park on Aug. 27, 2024.
Both players were hitting below .200 to start this game and can now use these performances to start producing at the plate more in 2026.
Dominic writes for Pittsburgh Pirates On SI, Pittsburgh Panthers Pn SI and also, Pittsburgh Steelers On SI. A Pittsburgh native, Dominic grew up watching Pittsburgh Sports and wrote for The Pitt News as an undergraduate at the University of Pittsburgh, covering Pitt Athletics. He would write for Pittsburgh Sports Now after college and has years of experience covering sports across Pittsburgh.