Joey Votto may have seen his franchise-record tying 48-game on-base streak come to an end on Saturday, but his classy gesture toward A.J. Burnett was a hit in our scorebook.
Burnett, 38, has already announced that this will be his final season. That meant Saturday's start at PNC Park may very well be his last. That will all be determined by how the Pirates fare in Wednesday's wild-card game against the Cubs. Regardless, Saturday was the last time Votto will ever face Burnett, and he showed his appreciation for a fantastic career with a tip of the cap.
Well, technically, a tip of the battling helmet, but the meaning is all the same.
Good on you, Joey Votto.
Pirates fans also gave Burnett a great tribute, sending out thunderous cheers as he walked off the PNC Park hill for perhaps the last time.
All things considered, it was a great night for Burnett, including his actual performance. Over 6 2/3 innings, he allowed three runs on five hits. He also walked four and struck out nine. That's an outing manager Clint Hurdle would take every time from his veteran right-hander.
The only thing missing was the win. The Pirates ended up falling 3-1, meaning they'll still need a win Sunday or a Cubs loss to clinch home-field advantage in the NL wild-card game.
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