McCutchen picks up hits in bunches
Andrew McCutchen’s 4-for-4 game against the Seattle Mariners this past Tuesday was not all that surprising.
Not only has the Pirates center fielder developed into one of the National League’s best hitters but he has also become adept at piling at hits in bunches.
McCutchen has eight games of at least four hits since the beginning of last season. Going into Saturday’s game against the Mets at New York, McCutchen had 13 of the Pirates’ 40 games of four or more hits since June 4, 2009, the day he made his major league debut.
The next closest players on the list are Garrett Jones and Neil Walker with five each.
Since records are first available beginning in 1916, just five Pirates have had more four-hit games in a season than McCutchen did in 2012. Kiki Cuyler had 10 in 1925 while four others had seven — Carson Bigbee in 1922, Max Carey in 1925, Paul Waner in 1937 and Dick Groat in 1960.
Cuyler, Carey and Waner are Hall of Famers and Groat was the National League Most Valuable Player in 1960.
The last Pirates player to have six games of at least four hits in a season before McCutchen was Jeff King in 1996. Only three Pirates have done it since the expansion era started in 1962 — Richie Hebner in 1974, Dave Parker in 1976 and Joe Orsulak in 1985.
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Pirates right-hander James McDonald had walked 20 batters in 29 2/3 innings before going on the disabled list Tuesday with right shoulder inflammation. His rate of 6.07 per nine innings was the highest in the major leagues this season major-league pitchers with at least 25 innings coming into the weekend.
Just four other pitchers were within one walk per nine innings of McDonald — San Diego’s Clayton Richards (5.81), Houston’s Lucas Harrell (5.28), Toronto’s J.A. Happ (5.18) and the Los Angeles Angels’ C.J. Wilson (5.14).
Only one pitcher in Pirates’ history has pitched at least 100 innings in a season and had a higher walk rate. That was Oliver Perez with a 6.12 base on balls per nine innings in 2005.
Just two other Pirates pitchers have come within one walk per nine innings of McDonald’s mark — Tom Gorzelanny (5.98 in 2008) and Johnny Lindell (5.94 in 1953).
Double-A Altoona first baseman Matt Curry had surgery to remove the hamate bone in his right wrist this past and is likely out through the end of July.
He was hitting .248 with four home runs in 112 plate appearances.