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Pirates rookie becomes 1st born-and-raised Lithuanian to appear in MLB

Charles LeClaire / USA TODAY Sports

A Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher made history before he even set foot on the mound.

Right-handed prospect Dovydas Neverauskas became the first player born and raised in Lithuania to play in a major-league game on Monday against the Chicago Cubs.

He allowed one earned run on two hits, striking out one batter in the top of the eighth.

The 24-year-old, who was signed by the team in 2009, has been playing in the Pirates system since 2010. His performance last season raised some eyebrows, as the 6-foot-3 prospect combined to a 3.10 ERA in 47 games pitching in Double and Triple-A.

After the Pirates placed Adam Frazier on the 10-day disabled list, it became Neverauskas' time to shine, getting the call and breaking new ground in the process. The only other Lithuanian born player to appear in the majors was Joe Zapustas, who appeared in two games in 1933 with the Philadelphia Athletics.

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