Andrew McCutchen notches 1,000th hit as Pirates blow out the Cubs
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It’s impossible to measure the impact Andrew McCutchen has had on the Pittsburgh Pirates since debuting in 2009 with a single number. But if we were going to start somewhere, 1,000 doesn’t sound too bad.
That’s 1,000, as in 1,000 career hits, a milestone McCutchen achieved in Wednesday’s 8-1 victory over the Chicago Cubs.
McCutchen, who’s been mired in a season-long funk so far, entered the game with a .179 average on the season and 998 career hits. He started off 0 for 3 with a pair of strikeouts, but finally broke out in the sixth inning with a two-run triple over the head of center fielder Dexter Fowler. That extended Pittsburgh’s lead to 5-1.
Two innings later, McCutchen milestone came on a sharply hit grounder that Cubs’ third baseman Kris Bryant impressively knocked down with a backhand dive, but McCutchen outran the throw.
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Not surprising, there was a lot of excitement over McCutchen’s in the Pirates’ clubhouse following the game. Even less surprising, McCutchen wasn’t among those in a celebratory mood. It’s onward and upward for him, and hopefully for his Pirates in the NL Central.
“It just means I’ve been blessed enough to play long enough to get it,” McCutchen said. “I’ve just had the opportunity to play every day. That’s what it’s been all about. I’ve had the opportunity to do it, played a lot of games and got a lot of at-bats, so I was able to do it.”
”It’s a good milestone,” he added, ”but I don’t want to stop there.”
The Pirates needed Wednesday’s win to avoid being swept in Chicago. Gerrit Cole provided a lift on the hill, allowing one unearned run on three hits over six innings. He’s 4-0 on the season. Korean rookie Jung Ho Kang added three hits, including an RBI single and double.
The Pirates head to St. Louis this weekend to face the first-place Cardinals. The Cubs, who saw their four-game winning streak snapped, will host the last-place Brewers.
RYAN BRAUN BREAKS OUT FOR BREWERS
Leading the charge for Milwaukee was Ryan Braun, who entered play hitting just .227 with two homers and five RBIs. He doubled the latter totals while adding 27 points to his average with a three-hit, two-homer game. In the fifth, he launched an opposite field solo homer to extend Milwaukee’s lead to 3-1. Three innings later, he added with the finishing touches with a grand slam off Jumbo Diaz.
Adam Lind and Khris Davis also homered for Milwaukee in the second. All three of Cincinnati’s runs came via home runs. Todd Frazier, Tucker Barnhart and Jay Bruce hit solo shots.
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MARLINS STAY HOT, GET HOMERS FROM ICHIRO AND GIANCARLO
It used to be said that Ichiro Suzuki could hit a home run any time he wanted to in batting practice or during a game. Those days are long behind him now, but even at age 41 , the future Hall of Famer is still plenty capable of turning on a pitch every now and then.
One of those occasions came Wednesday night, when Ichiro launched a three-run, eighth-inning homer that essentially cemented the Marlins 7-3 win over the suddenly cooling New York Mets.
The timing was great for Miami, as it gave them breathing room for the ninth inning. It was also notable for Ichiro for his very reason.
From coast-to-coast, Ichiro continues making history.
The Marlins also got a home run from Giancarlo Stanton, which is always notable because he is Giancarlo Stanton. Mat Latos pitched five innings of three-run but ended up taking a no-decision. He actually left early with a straining left hamstring.
Sam Dyson earned the win as the Marlins picked up their seventh victory in eight games. The Mets, on the other hand, have now lost four of six immediately following their 11-game winning streak.
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Despite a short month thanks to a later than usual start to the season and despite the fact Joakim Soria wasn’t even the Detroit Tigers closer to begin the season, he still managed to set a team record.
In closing out the Minnesota Twins in Detroit’s 10-7 victory on Wednesday afternoon, Soria notched his ninth save of April, which had never been done before by a Tigers reliever.
Soria took over the job from Joe Nathan, who we now know is out for the season, on April 8.
The record is indicative of the Tigers’ incredible start as a team, but Soria’s success has played a vital part in their 15-7 start. In 10 2/3 innings, he’s allowed just two earned runs. He’s 9-for-9 in save chances, notching three in one-games. He also picked up a win on April 17 against the Chicago.White Sox.
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Mark Townsend is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Townie813
