McCutchen’s 3 homers carry Bucs over Padres
SAN DIEGO — Andrew McCutchen hit three home runs for the third time in his career to lift the Pittsburgh Pirates to a 7-1 win over the San Diego Padres on Sunday.
McCutchen’s big day backed Gerrit Cole, who pitched seven innings of five-hit ball for the Pirates.
It was just the second win in eight games for the Pirates, who ended the Padres’ four-game winning streak.
McCutchen has 22 homers. He connected with two outs in the first off left-hander Clayton Richard, with the ball clearing the fence just out of the reach of center fielder Manuel Margot. He went deep again in the eighth off rookie Jose Torres and then homered off the rightfield foul pole with two outs in the ninth.
It was McCutchen’s third multi-homer game of the season and 15th of his career. He also made a nice diving catch in center field to end the eighth.
Pinch-hitter Josh Bell homered in the ninth, his 19th.
Cole (9-7), who lives in Santa Ana and played at UCLA, won his second straight start and third straight decision. His only big mistake was allowing a home run by rookie Dusty Coleman to center field with one out in the seventh, his second. Cole struck out eight and walked two.
The Pirates scored three runs in the sixth when the first four batters reached. Jose Osuna hit a two-run triple to right-center and Jordy Mercer followed with an RBI single to center.
Richard (5-12) gave up seven hits and four runs in six innings, struck out five and walked two.
Richard notched his MLB-leading seventh pickoff when he caught Cole too far off the bag after reaching on a single in the third.
San Diego first baseman Jose Pirela made an impressive catch of a foul ball by Chris Stewart while diving into the stands to end the top of the eighth.