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Pirates’ Marcell Ozuna Opens With 2-for-27 Slump as Boos Mount

Fan boos underscore the pressure of a $12 million signing.

Overview

  • Ozuna’s infield single, which came Saturday at PNC Park, started the eighth-inning rally in a 3-2 win over the Orioles.
  • Ozuna told reporters he accepts the crowd’s reaction, saying he “deserve[s] to be booed” and that he will keep grinding to find his swing.
  • Manager Don Kelly said Ozuna is “in-between” right now and pointed out the veteran went for postgame batting practice to make adjustments.
  • Newsweek reported he was out of the lineup Sunday, a brief reset after he opened the year 2-for-27 with two singles and no extra-base hits.
  • The Sporting News noted weak early indicators for a hitter signed to add power, citing low exit velocity, high chase and whiff rates, and a .074 slugging mark after Pittsburgh invested $12 million to boost a lineup that lagged in homers and runs last season.