Pirates’ Andrew McCutchen Breaks Out of Slump With Three Homer Game

It’s not unusual for hitters to get off to slow starts in April, and that includes superstars. Despite spring training, some players just need to get more at bats before it all clicks, or they just don’t hit as well in cold weather. But after they get 10 or 20 games under their belts, and as the weather warms up, the bats heat up too. Chicago Cubs Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg is case in point; it seemed like he was 0 for April every year before he started pounding the ball in May.

And so it was not particularly surprising that Pittsburgh Pirates centerfielder Andrew McCutchen, who was experiencing a sub par April, broke out in a big way April 26th at Colorado. McCutchen hit three homers and drove in five runs as the Pirates beat the Rockies 9-4.

The victory improved the second place Pirates’ record to 12-9, keeping them 3-1/2 games behind the N.L. Central leading Chicago Cubs, who beat Milwaukee.