PITTSBURGH — Something is clearly not right with Andrew McCutchen.
The Pirates’ all-star center fielder went 0 for 4 in the Pirates’ 8-3 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals Sunday, on the back of the same stat line Saturday night. McCutchen finished the series with St. Louis 1 for 11 and in the Pirates’ just-completed stretch of seven games in six days, he went 5 for 29 (.172).
He also added a pair of strikeouts, giving him 11 over the seven-game stretch and 68 on the season. That would put him on pace for a full-season total of 174. The most he’s ever had in a season previously was 133 in 2015.
Almost all of his offensive numbers are down from a year ago, but the strikeouts may be the most concerning. Manager Clint Hurdle thinks part of the issue has been the consistency of his swing path.
“For Andrew, the work we’re doing — the prep work, the early work — is very concise and the swing is connected, but when it comes to game time, we’re just not having the consistency, the path we want through the zone,” Hurdle said. “That contact point has been inconsistent and we’re seeing more swing-and-miss than we have in the past.”
McCutchen had been dealing with an intermittent thumb issue, but Hurdle said he is now 100% healthy.
“I feel better and I feel good,” McCutchen said. “The results will come. The hits will fall.”
Hurdle also dispelled the notion that the move to the second spot in the order has anything to do with McCutchen’s struggles.
“I think he made the mention that just he’s having to get ready a little bit quicker when he comes in the first inning,” Hurdle said. “It’s only one time, really, that he’s hitting second. Those are the facts. After that, the game plays out and you’re hitting. There hasn’t been anything along those lines.”
Both Hurdle and McCutchen mentioned that they felt he’s been the victim of some at-bat changing calls on balls and strikes.
“There’s been a lot of challenging calls on him,” Hurdle said. “A lot of flipped counts have happened to him this year. It’s happened way more, and I’m not making excuses for him. It’s become something that’s been noticeable for us.”
“I’ve noticed it a heck of a lot,” McCutchen said. “It’s noticeably different than any other year. I’m very confident in how I feel about the strike zone. I’m confident in my awareness about where the pitches are. Just more times than not this year, it seems like once, twice, three times a game, you get that one call that doesn’t go your way.”
The team will take much-needed off day Monday, breaking up a streak of 31 consecutive days at the ballpark before heading out on a six-game road trip to New York and Chicago. I asked McCutchen if the day off was a chance to push the reset button.
“I’m pushing the reset button after every day,” he said. “The off day is great. We haven’t had one in a long time. It’s good that we’ll be able to have one. We’ll definitely be able to advantage of it.”
When the team comes back, Hurdle expects more of the same work ethic from McCutchen.
“He’s just going to continue to work, and there’s been times he’s backed off his workload in this stretch to try to be more receptive, as well,” Hurdle said. “He’s getting good solid work, he’s very professional. He shows up every day as if this is the day it starts in a positive way.”
Hurdle also hasn’t considering lowering McCutchen in the lineup, despite his dead-on league-average 100 OPS+.
“Not right now, because I’m looking at the way the entire offense is working,” Hurdle said. “The entire offense is functioning pretty well. … Right now, I think from an offensive standpoint, we’re getting pretty good production.”
NOT NIESE’S DAY
Jon Niese had his first sub-par performance in over a month. The Pirates’ starter gave up a run in the first, two in the third, and then the wheels really came off in the sixth with four runs scoring before he was lifted with one out.
He gave up two home runs, but both were of the solo variety. Most of the damage came when he allowed the Cardinals to stack up some hits.
“I though this was probably one of the better days I’ve felt pitching,” Niese said. “That’s how this game goes sometimes. Sometimes you don’t feel great and have a great game, sometimes you feel great and you don’t have a good game. It was just one of those days.”
Although he felt good for large stretches, when he got into a jam, he wasn’t able to make a pitch to get himself out of it. He also had a potential double-play ball go off his glove for a base hit in the sixth, a play that could have turned the tide in that inning.
“When I needed to execute a pitch, I made a mistake,” he said. “It’s just little things like that, that turn a game around.”
NOTES
• The Pirates’ bullpen didn’t allow a run over 3.2 innings. Cory Luebke pitched two innings, allowing only one hit and striking out four batters. Arquimedes Caminero and Jared Hughes also pitched.
• Erik Kratz had an ignominious first start with the Pirates at the plate. He went 0 for 3 with a strikeout and grounded into a double play. Kratz said that considering everything he needed to do to get ready to catch the game, preparing for offense was a secondary matter.
