PITTSBURGH — The 4-2 record to begin the season-opening road trip for the Pittsburgh Pirates was nice.

It just wasn’t necessary.

There is a new feel in the Pirate clubhouse these days that has nothing to do with wins and losses.

“No doubt ... We all have the feeling we’re on the ground floor of something special that is happening here,” second baseman and Pine-Richland graduate Neil Walker said.

The club’s principal owner, Bob Nutting, echoed such sentiments prior to Thursday’s home opener at PNC Park.

“I don’t have a goal for wins or even for how much improvement we make this year,” Nutting said. “I have tremendous faith in our management group, our players and this organization.

“Our job is ongoing. It won’t be finished until we bring a championship to Pittsburgh. That body of work may occur in increments from year to year, that’s all.

The Pirates’ core of four — Walker, third baseman Pedro Alvarez, outfielders Andrew McCutcheon and Jose Tabata — are youthful leaders of a franchise that’s beginning to see its prospects arrive.

McCutcheon accepts that leadership tag — to a degree.

“Lead by example, I’ll take that,” he said. “I’d prefer us to do our talking with our bats and our defense.

“We all work together as a team. It’s not one person. We’re a team that has to battle hard for a full nine innings. we can never quit on a game.”

Veteran starting pitcher Kevin Correia, first baseman Lyle Overbay and outfielder Matt Diaz were added to the roster to fill specific needs.

Correia is off to a 2-0 start on the mound, Overbay’s arrival enabled Garrett Jones to move to right field to platoon with Diaz.

“We feel like we’ve got the right mix here now to begin turning the corner,” Nutting said. “And (manager) Clint Hurdle has created new energy for all of us.”

Jones hit fourth in the lineup for much of last year and led the Pirates in games played. Now he’s a platoon player batting seventh.

McCutcheon has dropped to third in the batting order — where he was most productive last year — instead of batting leadoff. New leadoff hitter Tabata hit safely in each of the Pirates’ first seven games this season.

“There’s talent throughout this room,” Walker said. “It’s just a matter of putting it together and having consistent performance on the field.”

Correia’s first two starts have shown consistency, but he insists he’s not the best pitcher on the staff.

“Not even close,” he said. “I’ve seen what these other guys have stuff-wise. They’re better than me. I was just brought in here to stabilize the rotation a little bit.”

Charlie Morton won his first start this year after going 2-12 all of last season. He sees a difference in himself as well as in the organization.

“I could tell from my outings in Florida things would be different for me,” Morton said. “Opposing hitters weren’t getting good swings. My pitches have been moving much better.

“Clint Hurdle has sort of relaxed everything with this team. He loves to talk to us all at once, all together. He’s a good guy who wants to win.”

Hurdle had only one winning seasons in his seven full years as manager of the Colorado Rockies — but took that 2007 team to the World Series.

The Pirates’ four previous fulltime skippers — John Russell, Jim Tracy, Lloyd McClendon and Gene Lamont — had no winning seasons here.

“None of us came in here to lose 100 games,” Correia said. “We won’t accept losing this year.”

Even former manager Tracy, now Colorado’s field boss, is keeping his eye on the Pirates.

“They’ve got an interesting mix over here now,” Tracy said. “I knew of McCutcheon coming through the system when I was managing here. He has incredible talent.

“Seeing those younger guys mature ... That team is going to be fun to watch.”