Andrew McCutchen Is Far From Done | His Bat Is Still Lit

Andrew McCutchen took starting pitcher Eric Lauer deep twice Tuesday evening in the Philadelphia Phillies 6-5 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers at Citizens Bank Park.

McCutchen’s first homer tied the game at 1-1 on a fastball left down the middle of the plate on a 2-2 count that landed in the Phillies bullpen, causing teammates to duck for cover.

 

 

In the bottom of the third, McCutchen sparked a five-run inning which put the Phillies up 6-1 after launching another fastball over the left-field fence.

 

 

The feat was McCutchens’ 17th multi-home run game of his career, 35th vs. the Brewers organization, and the first since his stint with the Pittsburgh Pirates back in 2017.

Coming into the game, McCutchen was batting a dismal .176 with an on-base plus slugging percentage of .586. In 102 attempts at the plate, he only has four extra-base hits this season.

The Philadelphia faithful were calling for the future Hall of Famer’s job after the first month of the season. 

So, it must have felt gratifying to watch those dingers fly while also being a significant factor in your teams’ victory, especially for the aging former National League Most Valuable Player.

This isn’t the first time McCutchen has had to prove himself after achieving success in the league. The Pirates openly shopped McCutchen, who singlehandedly helped lift them back into the playoffs and relevancy.  Before he came to Pittsburgh the franchise was entrapped in record-breaking futility. They haven’t been playoff-caliber since he left. So, he’s confident he can get his bat in good enough shape to help the Phillies make a run at the NL East. 

 

 

So is his World Series manager Joe Girardi.

“He’s been working really hard on everything,” said Girardi. “He’s starting to find his stroke a little bit. He’s been working really hard with hitting coach Joe Dillon, and he’s starting to find his stroke, and it’s important for us.”

McCutchen, per The Philadelphia Inquirer, said, “I’ve played long enough to where I know sometimes you want to start good; you want to start on the right foot, and sometimes when you don’t, you know that you’ve got work to do.” 

He added, “For me, I was just like, look, I’m not where I want to be, but I know where I’m going to be. So, I’ve just got to put the work in, continue working, and the results will come. That’s what I’ve been doing.”

McCutchen also had a hit on Wednesday in Game 1 of a three-game homestand against the Milwaukee Brewers that elevated his average near the Mendoza line. Once a baller always a baller. Age ain’t nothing but a number.