Cutch Rocks, Bucs Roll 10-1

Trevo got off on the right foot. After tossing a scoreless frame, he watched a Starling single and back-to-back-doubles by Cutch & J-Bell gave him a quick two-run pad. It would grow. In the second, the Bucs had two outs and Mad Max aboard when a Fraze double and Starling walk packed the sacks for Cutch. It is a well-known bit of Pirates lore that in nine seasons, Andrew has never drilled a grand slam. That can now be crossed off his to-do list; let the record show he got #1 off Kevin Gausman to make it 6-0. Cutch said "finally" as he hopped on the plate and the fans knew the history, too, demanding a curtain call. It stayed that way into the bottom of the fifth when Jimmy Yacabonis took the ball from Gausman. The Bucs used three singles to add one more chip to the pot (actually a bummer as they has the bases jammed w/no outs, but today, not a big deal).

Pretty good night for this dude (photo Pittsburgh Pirates)

The Birds got on the board when Chris Davis banged a two-out homer in the sixth. The Bucs had an answer - Fraze and Starling singled and Andrew, who is a triple shy of the cycle, banged another homer to make it 10-1. Cutch was pulled for J-Lup after taking the field in the seventh so that he could draw some final crowd love (pro move by Clint). Steven Brault toed the rubber and took it home from there, earning his first save in the process by tossing three frames.

Cutch happened, the pitching of Trevor Williams & Steven Brault speaks well for the future, and the Bucs are one game away from closing out the 2017 home card.

But an even better one for this guy... (photo Dave Arrigo/Pirates)

Notes:

• Cutch had four hits; Fraze and Starling had two each and scored five times (it's good to bat ahead of Andrew); J-Bell also had two knocks.
• Per @theaceofspaeder: Cutch is the first Pirate with at least four runs and eight RBI in a game since Ralph Kiner on June 25, 1950.
• Andrew chased home a career-high eight runners tonight, a feat that hasn't been done since Jason Bay did it in 2004 (Johnny Rizzo set the team record in 1939 with nine; Bay drove in eight twice while Ralph Kiner & Dave Robertson each did it once). Cutch passed Al "Scoops" Oliver and Max Carey for 11th in all-time Bucco RBIs w/724 (Dave "The Cobra" Parker is 10th w/758).
• Trevor was sharp again - six IP, one run, three hits, one walk and six K while serving 93 pitches.
• There were 19,318 at the ol' ballyard tonight.