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| Bryce Harper is off to a slow start this season. | PHOTO: DraftKings Network |
Andrew McCutchen achieved a significant milestone by hitting his 300th home run, contributing to the Pittsburgh Pirates' 9-2 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Sunday, which also resulted in a split of the four-game series.
In addition to McCutchen's achievement, Jack Suwinski's grand slam added to the Pirates' commanding performance.
Meanwhile, Phillies' standout Bryce Harper struggled, going 0 for 4 and extending his slump to 2 for 30, lowering his average to .190.
The 37-year-old McCutchen, who previously played for the Phillies from 2019 to 2021, sealed his milestone with a powerful hit off Ricardo Pinto's slider in the ninth inning, sending the ball soaring into the left-field seats. This marked McCutchen's first home run of the season and solidified his place among an elite group of players, being only the 13th in MLB history to achieve 2,000 hits, 400 doubles, 45 triples, 300 homers, and 200 stolen bases.
If the milestone were to happen anywhere else aside from Pittsburgh, McCutchen was happy it happened in Philadelphia.
“It’s kind of hard to be liked on both sides of the state,” he told reporters. “It’s nice. I got a pretty good ovation from the fans. … They show a lot of appreciation for the three short years I was here and I appreciate that because I was a guy making $20 million and one year I wasn’t holding my end of the bargain and I felt like I should have done better.”
Jack Suwinski contributed significantly to the Pirates' victory with his second career grand slam in the sixth inning. This hit secured a 5-2 lead against Zack Wheeler (0-3), who had a strong performance despite allowing five runs (four earned), five hits, and three walks over five-plus innings.
Trea Turner had three hits and two RBIs, including his first home run this season for the Phillies.
The loss dropped the club to 8-8 on the year and stretched their run differential to -13 on the season, the fourth worst figure in the National League.
“It is frustrating,” Phillies manager Rob Thomson told reporters. “We haven’t really swung the bats well here at the start, but that’ll change.”
