Jordan Wicks will start Tuesday in the place where he had a stellar MLB debut

PITTSBURGH — It was here, in postcard-perfect PNC Park, with the dramatic backdrop of the Pirate yellow Roberto Clemente bridge spanning the muddy Allegheny River to the city skyline on the other side, that Cubs left-hander Jordan Wicks made his major-league debut. A forever memory, but not the one you might have imagined.His wife of less than a year, Megan, was here. Family, friends, 20 or 30 people in all, had parachuted in for the occasion.“Me and my wife talk about it all the time,’’ Wicks said here Monday, the day before he would be making his first start of 2026 for the Cubs in place of injured starter Edwin Cabrera. “Such a cool park to debut in, such a nice stadium, such a nice field.“I know the place was packed that night. I remember that, because I gave up a homer to the first batter of the game. It got loud in a hurry.’’This was unraveling quickly. Ke’Bryan Hayes hit Wicks’ second pitch of the night down the left-field line for a home run. Bryan Reynolds lined a single up the middle. Andrew McCutcheon walked on five pitches.Then came what the mikemen on Marquee would call the “Greatest Mound Visit Ever.” Or at least that’s what Wicks remembers. “Tommy Hottovy reminds me of it very frequently,’’ he said.Hottovy, the Cubs’ pitching coach, made his way deliberately to the mound. You could almost feel Wicks’ heartbeat escalating with every step. Hottovy said his piece. Wicks nodded.Connor Joe struck out swinging. Endy Rodriguez looked at a third strike. Joshua Palacios went down swinging. Wicks struck out the first two batters of the second inning, too.From the time Hottovy made his stroll to the mound, and Wicks came out of the game after five innings, he retired all 15 Pirate batters he...