File photo: Jun 16, 2018; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates relief pitcher Steven Brault (43) pitches against the Cincinnati Reds during the eighth inning at PNC Park. The Pirates won 6-2. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

When Pirates pitcher Steven Brault took the field at PNC Park in Pittsburgh on Tuesday, it had nothing to do with fastballs or curveballs.

Instead, fulfilling a wish from his grandmother, Brault sang the national anthem before the game against the Milwaukee Brewers.

“It’s something specifically my grandma always wanted me to do. She wanted me to sing the national anthem before a major league game that I got to play in, so that’s part of it,” he said, per MLB.com.

The pitcher had sung “The Star-Spangled Banner” in the minors before, but never in the majors. On Tuesday, his teammates came out on the field with him.

Brault, a third-year Pirates pitcher, also said taking the microphone was important for “showing people, showing kids, that it’s OK to do other things. I think that’s really important. It’s something I really live by.”

The lefty reliever is 5-1 with a 4.38 ERA in 19 games, which also includes five starts.

--Field Level Media