ST. LOUIS -- Hey, Cutch? About that that 3-0 slider...
"That was a ball," Andrew McCutchen said at his locker Saturday afternoon at Busch Stadium.
Yeah, it looked inside, and Gameday's pitch tracking actually had it a bit further away from the top corner of the strike zone than the first pitch, which was called a ball. But McCutchen stayed in the box and, three pitches later, he got a hold of another slider:
Cutch is him 👑 pic.twitter.com/JuRmQccmtA
— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) April 15, 2023
Into the seats. McCutchen's 10th inning homer put the Pirates out in front for the first time since the top of the of the first and propelled them to a 6-3 win over the Cardinals.
"In my mind, I thought, ‘If he throws me another slider, I’m gonna be ready,’ " McCutchen said. "That’s what he did, and it was pretty much history."
I've written many times already that McCutchen never viewed this as a farewell tour and that he wants to help the team win. Well, there's no better way to prove it than beating the Cardinals yet again.
Emphasis on again, because that was McCutchen's 63rd career go-ahead home run in a Pittsburgh uniform. The only two players in franchise history with more: Willie Stargell and Roberto Clemente.
HOLY COMPANY!!!!! 🔥🔥🔥💯🗡️ pic.twitter.com/TrMIdVkItI
— Michael McKenry (@theFortMcKenry) April 15, 2023
"He definitely still has it," Derek Shelton said. "His at-bats are consistent. He knows what he’s doing. He’s able to control the zone. And he really came up in a big spot for us."
Hey, he had it coming after being robbed of three hits Friday night.
"He finally hit one where they weren’t standing," Shelton said.
The win guarantees at least a series split at Busch Stadium, with a chance for the win in the four-game set Sunday. This team has taken a step forward early in the year, starting 9-6. And wins like Saturday against a rival ...
"They matter a lot, especially with a team like the Cardinals," McCutchen said. "They’re no pushover. They’re a good team. For us to be able to do what we’ve done thus far, it’s been great. ... In the losses we’ve had, we’ve had opportunities. Opportunities are there. We just have not been on the winning side of those opportunities. Once those start rolling, we’ll start seeing the wins we’re supposed to get. It lets us know that we’re close. Of course we don’t have it all figured out, but we’re keeping it close."
