LOS ANGELES — Because the Pirates search to enhance their offense throughout the board, getting designated hitter Andrew McCutchen going can be a significant factor. And McCutchen wrapped a powerful highway journey together with his finest offensive exhibiting to date this 12 months, going 4-for-4 with a homer in Pittsburgh’s 9-2 loss to the Dodgers at Dodger Stadium.
“Cutch is having good swings,” mentioned supervisor Derek Shelton. “… The primary 4 days of the highway journey, he had been actually sizzling. Yesterday, he went 0-for-5 after which rolled again out with 4 hits at the moment. He is having actually constant at-bats. We want that in our lineup.”
McCutchen has recorded not less than one hit in seven of his final eight video games, concluding together with his eleventh profession four-hit sport on Sunday. He struck early in opposition to former teammate Tyler Glasnow, hitting a first-inning residence run, which Enmanuel Valdez adopted up with certainly one of his personal to present the Pirates back-to-back blasts for the primary time this 12 months.
McCutchen’s shot was his 238th with Pittsburgh, placing him two shy of Roberto Clemente for third on the all-time checklist for homers hit as a Pirate.
“We’re beginning to get issues going within the lineup, which is sweet, as a result of that’s one thing that appeared like we have been type of lacking,” mentioned McCutchen. “It’s a rollercoaster of offensive battles for us. So for us to get some consistency, one, within the lineup, and two, with the fellows on the backside and simply all through the entire lineup, it is good to get that manufacturing.”
“It is like a Spring Coaching sport,” mentioned McCutchen. “You face one man and then you definitely face one other. So it should not shock anyone at this level. Simply simplify as a lot as you may. Wait in your pitch and be able to hit.”
At 38 years outdated and in his seventeenth huge league season, McCutchen is exhibiting that he nonetheless has lots to supply together with his bat. Amongst Pirates with not less than 50 plate appearances, he’s second in common (.276) and OPS (.815). These can be his finest marks over the course of a full season since 2017 and ’19, respectively.
Whereas it’s only one month, it provides McCutchen a stable base to construct off.
“I all the time say in April, you simply wish to hover,” mentioned McCutchen. “You do not wish to get too excessive or too low, you simply type of hover. And that may very well be a distinct definition for lots of fellows. However for me, it is simply having productive at-bats and taking good swings, swinging at good pitches and mainly hoping for one of the best. I felt fairly good this journey, made some strides, and hopefully, [I’ll] simply proceed that, keep it, as we return to Pittsburgh.”
With Opening Day now a month within the rearview, the Pirates are 11-18. As a complete, they’ve obtained their work lower out for them to attempt to flip issues round — however there have been encouraging indicators, even past simply McCutchen and Oneil Cruz. That they had a mixed 23 hits in these three video games in Los Angeles, together with some much-needed manufacturing from the underside of the order.
They have been additionally the primary crew to attain three earned runs in opposition to each Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki this season.
Pair that with a principally stable run of beginning pitching — that includes high quality begins in 4 of six video games on their West Coast highway journey — and that might show to be a profitable components.
“We positively showcased some stretches the place we are able to put the runs up,” mentioned McCutchen. “And when the pitching does their job, which it did extra occasions than not … now we have alternatives to win, particularly in opposition to a crew just like the Dodgers. I imply, not even us — you have a look at paper, folks count on them to comb, it doesn’t matter what, simply due to the crew, the payroll, the fellows on the crew. So for us to go in and play them nicely for 2 video games, it simply confirmed that we’re able to doing that.”
