Andrew McCutchen hits the 300th home run of his MLB career

Pittsburgh Pirates designated hitter Andrew McCutchen of Fort Meade, Florida became the 160th Major League Baseball player all-time to hit 300 home runs. He accomplished the feat in a 9-2 Pirates win over the Philadelphia Phillies in a battle of Pennsylvania at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia. Of McCutchen’s 300 career home runs, 216 have come with the Pirates, 47 with the Phillies, 17 with the Milwaukee Brewers, 15 with the San Francisco Giants, and five with the New York Yankees.

Inside Look at McCutchen’s home run

McCutchen’s home run closed out the scoring on Sunday. He hit a 378 foot home run off of Phillies relief pitcher Ricardo Pinto of Guacara, Venezuela to left field with one out in the top of the ninth inning. The home run came on the fifth pitch of the at bat as the count was two balls and two strikes. McCutchen also scored third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes of Tomball, Texas, who led off the inning with a double.

McCutchen Stole Home

The home run was not the only memorable play McCutchen had in the game. In the fourth inning, McCutchen stole home on a double steal as second baseman Jared Triolo of Nashua, New Hampshire stole second base. At the time, the Pirates tied the game at one run apiece.

McCutchen struggling in 2024

This was McCutchen’s first home run of the season. There is no doubt that the 2024 season has been a struggle for the Major League Baseball veteran hitter to date. McCutchen is only batting .194, six points lower than the Mendoza Line. During nine games, 36 at bats and 43 plate appearances, McCutchen has scored six runs, and had seven hits, two doubles, four runs batted in, one stolen base, six walks, 12 total bases, an on base percentage of .326 and a slugging percentage of .333. McCutchen’s two doubles have come in Pirates wins. The first came in an 8-4 Pirates win over the Washington Nationals on April 1, and the second came in a 7-4 Pirates win over the Detroit Tigers on April 8.

Leading the National League Central

The Pirates are currently at 11 wins and five losses. They are the co-leaders of the National League Central. They are tied with the Milwaukee Brewers.