For the better part of two decades, Greg Maddux has tortured the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Monday, in a Chicago Cubs home opener that was supposed to be a celebration of the future Hall of Famer's return to Wrigleyville, the Bucs finally got their revenge.
In a 13-2 win at Wrigley Field, Pirates hitters shocked the 40,483 home faithful by teeing off against Maddux throughout much of his brief stay on the mound. And when they weren't hitting the ball hard, the typically impatient Bucs batters waited for the control expert to throw strikes. Maddux rarely did.
In 3 2/3 innings, Maddux was roughed up for six runs on eight hits while walking five hitters and hitting another. Of the right-hander's 77 pitches, only 39 went for strikes.
"I'm sure he didn't have his best stuff today," said Pirates first baseman Craig Wilson. "We took advantage of it and we put some solid swings on it.
"We came in today and we were aggressive off of him. The first couple of guys got some hits, it became contagious and everyone started hitting."
The Pirates broke the game open with five runs in the second inning.
With runners on first and second base and one out in the frame, Pirates pitcher Kris Benson, a .115 career hitter, drew a walk to load the bases. After a Tike Redman sacrifice fly to center field drove home the game's first run, Jack Wilson collected an RBI double, his second of three hits on the day against Maddux.
"He's a Hall of Famer and you've got the extra adrenaline going against a guy like that because you were a kid watching him pitch, and the next thing you know you're facing him," Jack Wilson said. "You've got to be really selective with him because he's off the black by an inch here and an inch there and he usually gets the calls because he's Greg Maddux."
Jason Kendall capped the big inning by hitting a two-run single, stealing second base and scoring on a two-base throwing error by Cubs catcher Paul Bako
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