PHILADELPHIA — Andrew McCutchen hit the 300th home run of his career and the Pittsburgh Pirates cruised past the Philadelphia Phillies 9-2 on Sunday, earning a split of the four-game series.
Jack Suwinski added to the offensive surge, authoring a grand slam that helped lift the 11-5 Pirates to their eighth road victory, the most in the National League.
The 37-year-old McCutchen, who played for the Phillies from 2019 to 2021, drove a Ricardo Pinto slider into the left-field seats in the ninth inning for his first home run this season. He became the 13th player with 2,000 hits, 400 doubles, 45 triples, 300 homers and 200 stolen bases.
“I’m happy that’s over with,” McCutchen said after his first home run since last Aug. 22 against St. Louis. “I’ve been sitting on that one for a while.”
McCutchen said Philadelphia was his second choice for hitting No. 300 behind Pittsburgh.
“It’s kind of hard to be liked on both sides of the state,” he said. “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.”
McCutchen stole home as part of a double steal in the fourth inning when catcher J.T. Realmuto‘s throw sailed into center field as Realmuto tried to nab Jared Triolo at second base.
McCutchen — in his second tenure with Pittsburgh, the club he broke into the majors with — is the fourth player to hit No. 300 in a Pirates uniform, according to ESPN Stats & Information, joining Jeromy Burnitz (2006), Willie Stargell (1973) and Ralph Kiner (1953).
Suwinski hit his second career slam for a 5-2 lead in the sixth inning against Zack Wheeler (0-3), who allowed five runs — four earned — five hits and three walks in five-plus innings. Wheeler struck out 10, marking his 23rd career double-digit strikeout game.
“Grinded through some at-bats and made him work,” Pirates manager Derek Shelton said of Wheeler. “When you are talking about a guy of that caliber, making him work is very important.”
Joey Bart boosted the lead to 6-2 later in the inning with a homer off Seranthony Dominguez.
Pirates starter Mitch Keller (1-2) allowed two runs and eight hits in seven innings. He has pitched at least five innings in 35 straight starts, the longest active streak in the majors.
But the day belonged to McCutchen, who now has 216 career long balls with the Pirates, 24 shy of catching Roberto Clemente for the third most in franchise history, according to ESPN Stats & Information. Stargell owns the top spot on that list with 475.
Phillies star Bryce Harper was 0-for-4 and is in a 2-for-30 slide that has dropped his average to .190. Philadelphia’s Trea Turner had three hits and two RBIs, including his first home run this season.
“It is frustrating,” Phillies manager Rob Thomson said. “We haven’t really swung the bats well here at the start, but that’ll change.”
Before the win, Pittsburgh placed left-hander Marco Gonzales on the 15-day injured list with a left forearm strain and recalled right-hander Ryder Ryan from Triple-A Indianapolis.
Meanwhile, Philadelphia activated right-hander Orion Kerkering from the 15-day injured list and optioned right-hander Nick Nelson to Triple-A Lehigh Valley.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
