Andrew McCutchen notches 2,000th hit, Mitch Keller strikes out 7 as Pirates beat Mets
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The anticipation of Andrew McCutchen’s milestone moment drew a hush from the PNC Park crowd, knowing that the Pittsburgh Pirates designated hitter was one shy of his 2,000th career hit.
Where McCutchen had been content to draw walks throughout the 10-day, nine-game homestand, he came out swinging Sunday. McCutchen fouled off Carlos Carrasco’s first-pitch fastball before taking another crack at a 1-1 pitch that floated over the middle of the plate.
When McCutchen smacked a single to left field in the bottom of the first inning, the five-time All-Star and 2013 NL MVP drew a roaring ovation. McCutchen took off his batting helmet and raised it with his left hand, saluting a fan base that has welcomed him back with open arms.
“To be able to finally get it on the last day … I wanted to do it here in Pittsburgh,” McCutchen said. “I’m glad I was able to do it here. It was a special moment.”
The focus eventually shifted from McCutchen to Mitch Keller, who held the New York Mets to two hits while striking out seven in seven innings in a 2-1 win Sunday afternoon before 26,770 at PNC Park.
“There was big hype around it all series, and to have it on a day I was pitching was pretty special,” Keller said. “I can always look back and say ‘I pitched that game that he got his 2,000th.’ That a huge deal. Couldn’t be happier for him. He’s a great teammate. He brings the energy. He brings the laughter. Everyone just feeds off of him and it couldn’t happen to a better guy.”
McCutchen became the 291st player in MLB history to reach the 2,000-hit milestone and the 11th to record his 2,000th hit while playing for the Pirates. McCutchen ranks fifth among active players, behind Miguel Cabrera (3,110), Joey Votto (2,093), Nelson Cruz (2,043) and Elvis Andrus (2,093). McCutchen’s 1,515 hits with the Pirates ranks 12th in franchise history.
“There’s less than 300 people in the history of that game that ever did it,” Pirates manager Derek Shelton said. “I think that in of itself, when you see how many people played in the big leagues to, realize how important it is. It was really important that he did it in a black-and-gold jersey.”
When the Pirates started their homestand on June 2, McCutchen was only five hits shy of the mark. If reaching the milestone added any pressure, McCutchen didn’t show it. He drew 10 walks in 32 plate appearances through seven games entering Sunday, offsetting a .191 batting average (4 for 21) with a .438 on-base percentage.
After fouling off the first pitch, McCutchen drew a ball on a slider that was outside and in the dirt. Carrasco’s third pitch was a belt-high slider that McCutchen stayed through for a single.
“It was a good pitch to hit,” McCutchen said, repeating himself. “As a major leaguer that’s what we do, we hit mistakes. I doubt he wanted to throw it there, but good swing on it and got a hit.”
The camera panned to McCutchen’s wife, Maria, and three children who were wearing a black “Cutch City” T-shirt with gold lettering. Pirates players clapped and cheered from the top step of the home dugout, as the game stopped to allow McCutchen to soak up the celebratory scene.
“You expect it to happen,” Shelton said, “but when it happens and to see the reaction of the crowd and to see his reaction, to see his teammates’ reaction, yeah, it was a special moment.”
McCutchen got his 2,000th career hit the same way he recorded the first of his major league career, with a leadoff single for the Pirates against the Mets. This one came 14 years and one week after McCutchen singled off Mike Pelfrey in an 11-6 win in his debut.
“When things like that happen you are kind of like, ‘What is going on in the universe for stuff like that to happen?’” said McCutchen, who was traded to the San Francisco Giants and played for the New York Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies and Milwaukee Brewers before signing a one-year, $5 million deal with the Pirates. “It makes you think some weird stuff is happening. I don’t know. Yeah, that was cool to do that, first and get your 2,000th at home in Pittsburgh against the Mets again.”
The Mets threatened to score in the second, when Francisco Lindor drew a leadoff walk and Mark Canha hit a two-out single to center. They completed a double steal to put runners on second and third, but Keller got Omar Narvaez swinging at a 2-2 cutter high and inside to escape.
Before the bottom of the second inning, the Pirates shared congratulatory messages on the scoreboard to McCutchen from retired Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, Penguins captain Sidney Crosby and former Pirates teammate Neil Walker.
McCutchen and Reynolds drew back-to-back walks with one out in the third but were stranded when Carrasco got a pop fly and lineout.
The Mets took a 1-0 lead when Jeff McNeil sent Keller’s 3-2 cutter 386 feet over the Clemente Wall for his third home run to start the fourth. With two outs, Keller walked Brett Baty and hit Mark Canha with a pitch before getting Omar Narvaez to ground out to second.
Keller didn’t allow another baserunner, retiring the final nine batters he faced. He recorded 19 called strikes and 11 swings and misses while throwing 61 of his 106 pitches for strikes. It was a strong start for the right-hander, who had a 7.79 ERA in his previous three starts after giving up 15 runs on 25 hits and seven walks.
“The game was telling us something so we were doing it,” said Keller, who leaned more on his cutter than four-seam fastball. “I think getting back and analyzing where we were at, making those small little adjustments. It wasn’t anything too crazy or anything too wild. Just a few little adjustments here and there and I think it makes all the difference.”
The Pirates scored two runs in the bottom of the fourth to put Keller (8-2) in position for the win. Jack Suwinski answered McNeil with a solo shot of his own when Carrasco left a hanging curveball over the heart of the plate, blasting it 410 feet and off the right-field foul pole for his 13th homer to tie it at 1-1.
“I don’t think I’ve ever hit the pole before,” Suwinski said, “but I’m glad that one did. I didn’t want it to go foul.”
Ji Hwan Bae followed with a double to right-center, advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on Tucupita Marcano’s single to right for a 2-1 lead.
Dauri Moreta pitched a scoreless eighth. In the ninth, closer David Bednar got Lindor looking at a called third strike before Tommy Pham hit a double to the North Side Notch. Bednar got Baty to fly out to left and Canha to fly out to center for his 14th save.
Where McCutchen emphasized the importance of winning the series against the Mets, he later took time to reminisce about how quickly his first career hit came and how long it took him to reach this milestone.
“Fast forward 14 years and here we are at 2,000,” said McCutchen, who got his 1,000th hit in May 2015. “Shoot, I would have thought that I’d have gotten 2,000 a long time ago. If you would have asked me in 2014 if it would take me until I was 36 to get 2,000 hits, I would have laughed. Things happened. Baseball happens. It’s unpredictable. So, you know, here we are.”
Source: TribLIVE
