PITTSBURGH — From the pregame press conference to the first-inning standing ovation to getting his first hit, Gregory Polanco's first day in the major leagues was special.
The only downer was that his Pittsburgh Pirates lost to the Chicago Cubs 7-3 on Tuesday night as Anthony Rizzo stole the spotlight from Polanco by homering, doubling twice and driving in three runs.
"It was a lot of fun," Polanco said with a smile. "It was exciting. I was a little nervous at first but then I relaxed and had fun."
Polanco went 1 for 5 after getting called up from Triple-A Indianapolis, where the right fielder was leading the International League with a .347 batting average and 49 RBIs in 62 games. He was universally considered Pittsburgh's top prospect coming into the season.
He popped out in his first at-bat after an ovation from the crowd of 31,567, much more than the Pirates usually draw on a Tuesday. Polanco then singled his second time up against left-hander Travis Wood for his first hit.
"I really wanted to get a hit tonight," Polanco said. "After I got that first hit, I felt a lot better even though I didn't get any more."
Polanco batted second and was the only left-handed hitter in the Pirates' lineup against Wood.
"I'm not going to get in front of myself and predict the future, but it was exciting to watch him play," Pittsburgh manager Clint Hurdle said. "There was a really great atmosphere in the ballpark. It was fun. I liked what I saw and I'm looking forward to seeing a lot more of him."
Rizzo hit a two-run homer in the first inning off lefty Francisco Liriano, who came out in the fourth with discomfort on his right side.
Rizzo also doubled and scored in the fourth and hit an RBI double in the seventh, a drive to deep right-center that struck Polanco's left wrist as the touted rookie tried to make the catch.