Remembering When Pirates Fans Heckled Johnny Cueto off the Mound During NL Wild Card Game in Honor of 412 Day

Today is not only Easter in Pittsburgh. It is also 412 Day! For those unaware, 412 is the area code in Pittsburgh.

That means it is an appropriate time to look back at one of the most exciting moments in the city's sports history. 2013 marked the first time the Pittsburgh Pirates were back in the postseason since the days of Barry Bonds in 1992. The Cincinnati Reds came to town in the NL Wild Card Game. Johnny Cueto was on the mound for the Reds and a raucous Pittsburgh crowd got him rattled in an unforgettable sequence of events.

The chants of "Cueto, Cueto" rang out from the crowd wearing their black and gold and when the pitcher dropped the ball while on the mound, the volume increased to a fever pitch. Russell Martin was at the plate when Cueto picked up the ball and got back on the mound. The next pitch was sent into the stands for a home run and the entire stadium came unglued.

The Pirates went on to win 6-2 to advance to the NLDS where they fell to the St. Louis Cardinals in five games. Then came two consecutive Wild Card Game losses in 2014 and 2015. That is a ton of disappointment for a franchise that has not won much of anything since the 1970s, but nothing can take away the collective feeling Pirates fans had when they finally got to Cueto.