No love lost as Cubs, Pirates renew rivalry

PITTSBURGH — For a rivalry to really work, a few elements have to be in order: Both teams have to be good, they have to have a lot on the line every time they play, and they have to — at least between the lines — not like each other very much.

The Cubs and Pirates appear to fit all of the above criteria and, with that in mind, boy, has this National League Central rivalry become a doozy.

Playing the series opener at PNC Park Monday night — their first meeting since last year’s hotly contested NL Wild Card Game — the Cubs pulled away from the Pirates with a four-run fifth frame to win, 7-2. Later in the game, one player from each team was plunked.

Jason Hammel hit Pirates outfielder Starling Marte to lead off the sixth, and Cubs infielder Ben Zobrist was plunked by Kyle Lobstein when he led off the next frame. The result? Unhappiness on both sides, especially after each dugout then was warned by home-plate umpire Laz Diaz.

But hold on. This was, according to Cubs manager Joe Maddon, all part of the fun.

Fun?

“It’s always fun to vent, isn’t it?” he said. “We all vent. It’s the worst possible thing you can do for your health long-term is to hold that stuff in. So I had to get that out.”

Said Pirates manager Clint Hurdle: “I think it’s just a reaction. It’s just guys being guys.”

The managers weren’t the only ones riled up. Pirates catcher Francisco Cervelli — whom Maddon mentioned pregame as someone who belongs to the same gym as his wife and is a “good dude, a real good dude” — directed some of his ire toward the Cubs’ dugout.

“I understand they protect their teammates,” Cervelli said. “I’ve got to protect mine. You get mad, OK, get mad. You keep talking, talking … it’s my guy on the mound, so I’ve got to protect him. I didn’t know what they were …

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