No matter what happened on the field Friday night was going to be remembered as the night Andrew McCutchen returned to PNC Park. After spending nine seasons as the face of the Pittsburgh Pirates’ franchise and one of the best players in baseball, he was traded to the San Francisco Giants this past offseason.
As for the game on the field, the Pirates scored early and often and slugged four home runs – giving them 46 this season which is third most in the National League – on their way to an 11-2 victory over the Giants. With the win, the Pirates improved to 22-16 on the season keeping them a game behind the St.