Pirates tab Cole as Opening Day starter

The Pittsburgh Pirates will send right-hander Gerrit Cole to the mound April 3 against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park, manager Clint Hurdle said Saturday, tabbing the 26-year-old for his first career Opening Day start.

Barring an injury, Cole will become the first pitcher not named Francisco Liriano to start for the Pirates on Opening Day since 2013. Jameson Taillon, the 25-year-old right-hander who authored a 3.38 ERA over 18 starts as a rookie last year, will start the second game of the series in Boston, Hurdle added.

"I think he’s excited about the opportunity we have as a team to just go up and open up in Fenway," Hurdle told Bill Brink of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "He's going to get the ball against whoever their No. 1 is. They've got three of them to pick from. He's in a very focused state of mind right now."

Limited to 21 starts last season due to persistent elbow inflammation, Cole posted a career-worst 3.88 ERA (108 ERA+) and 1.44 WHIP over 116 innings, allowing 23 runs - and four homers - over his final five outings (8.37 ERA) of the campaign. In 2015, though, Cole earned his first career All-Star appearance and finished fourth in National League Cy Young voting after crafting a 2.60 ERA (149 ERA+) with a 4.59 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 32 starts.