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PITTSBURGH — Andrew McCutchen recorded his 2,000th hit, Jack Suwinski hit his 12th home run and the Pittsburgh Pirates edged the Mets 2-1 on Sunday, New York’s eighth loss in nine games.

McCutchen became the 291st player and fifth active player to reach 2,000 hits when he turned on a slider from Carlos Carrasco (2-3) leading off the first and laced it to left field.

The five-time All-Star, who signed a one-year deal in January to return to the team he starred for from 2009 to ’17, drew a loud ovation from his adopted hometown as he rounded first base. His wife, Maria, and their three children watched from a private box along the third-base line.

McCutchen became the fifth active player with 2,000 career hits, after Miguel Cabrera (3,110), Joey Votto (2,093), Nelson Cruz (2,043) and Elvis Andrus (2,027).

“To be able to do it on the last day … I wanted to do it here in Pittsburgh,” McCutchen said, referring to the last game of the Pirates’ homestand. “I was glad to be able to do it here. It was a special moment.”

McCutchen’s return to Pittsburgh has provided a spark to the surprising Pirates. And he is thriving in the role of elder statesman trying to help a young group learn how to win.

His approach as the milestone was in sight offered a lesson in patience. McCutchen entered Sunday having drawn 12 walks in his past nine games. He didn’t let the count get that deep against Carrasco, swinging at the third pitch he saw to reach 2,000 just over 14 years after his first big league hit, a single against the Mets on June 4, 2009.

After the hit, the Pirates played a video on the giant video screen with several Pittsburgh sports legends offering their congratulations to McCutchen. Included in that production was former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby.

“It was special to hear those messages from them,” McCutchen said. “It is something special to cherish.”

Mitch Keller (8-2) allowed two hits in seven innings to bounce back after three somewhat shaky starts for the Pirates, who went 6-3 during a season-long nine-game homestand to move into first place in the NL Central (34-30). David Bednar worked around a one-out double by Tommy Pham in the ninth for his 14th save in 15 chances.

Jeff McNeil hit his third home run of the season for New York, but the Mets, with a record $355 million payroll, finished a 1-5 trip through Atlanta and Pittsburgh by struggling to generate much of anything against Keller.

Keller was pushed around by Oakland in his last start in what became an 11-2 to the lowly A’s. He responded by returning to the form he showed for most of the first two months when he showed signs of emerging as the ace the Pirates have been looking for since Joe Musgrove and Jameson Taillon left after the 2020 season.

The 27-year-old’s only tough patch came in the fourth when McNeil led off with a homer, Brett Baty walked and Mark Canha was hit by a pitch. Keller settled down to retire the last 10 batters he faced while shaving his ERA to 3.41.

Carrasco, making his first start on normal four days’ rest this season, weaved in and out of danger during 4⅔ innings in which he allowed two runs on six hits with three walks and a strikeout.

The 36-year-old, who missed more than a month with a bone chip in his right elbow that caused excessive swelling, allowed the leadoff hitter to reach in four of the five innings he started, including Suwinski’s shot off the foul pole in right in the bottom of the fourth. Ji Hwan Bae doubled with one out and scored on Tucupita Marcano‘s single later in the inning. Carrasco was pulled with two runners on and two out in the fifth.

New York’s bullpen kept Pittsburgh close, but the Mets — forced to play for at least the next three weeks without injured major league home run leader Pete Alonso — only reached third base twice against Keller and two relievers.

A lack of awareness didn’t help. Mets pinch hitter Luis Guillorme was called out on strikes leading off the eighth for a pitch timer violation when home plate umpire Dan Merzel ruled Guillorme wasn’t ready to face Dauri Moreta with eight seconds left on the clock.

Information from Reuters and the Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Cubs blow lead in 10-run 8th, storm back in thriller

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Cubs blow lead in 10-run 8th, storm back in thriller

CHICAGO — Kyle Tucker had the fans on their feet, roaring and pumping their fists as he rounded the bases after hitting the go-ahead two-run homer in the eighth inning. His screaming line drive cleared the right-field wall with plenty of room to spare.

The Chicago Cubs went from giving up 10 runs in the eighth to scoring six in the bottom half and beating the Arizona Diamondbacks 13-11 on Friday in one of the wildest games on record.

The two teams combined for 21 runs in the seventh and eighth innings, with the Cubs scoring 11 runs and the D-backs plating 10. It was the first nine-inning game in MLB history in which both teams scored 10 or more runs from the seventh inning on, and the third game overall, according to ESPN Research.

“That’s kind of baseball,” Tucker said. “There’s a lot of ups and downs in this game, especially with how many games we play.”

There haven’t been many games like this, though.

The Cubs are just the seventh team in at least the past 125 seasons to allow 10 or more runs in an inning and win. They are also the fifth team to give up 10 or more runs and score six or more in the same inning.

The 16 combined runs in the eighth were the most in an inning at Wrigley Field, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

“If you’ve seen that one, you’ve been around for a while,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said with a laugh. “It was crazy. You know, we gave up 10 runs in an inning and we won. So it was a wild game, but we kept going, and, you know, there’s 27 outs in a game and this kind of proves it, and you’re just happy to get out with a win.”

On a warm day with the ball carrying, Carson Kelly homered twice. Ian Happ belted a grand slam and Seiya Suzuki went deep, helping the Cubs open a weekend series on a winning note.

“You’ve seen it early — having some tough losses, coming back winning the next day,” Happ said. “Losing the first game of the series, winning the series. Little things like that. Today’s a great example of professional hitters going out there and continuing to have really good at-bats.”

The way things transpired in the final two innings was something to see.

Kelly hit a two-run homer in the second against Corbin Burnes, and Happ came through with his grand slam against Ryne Nelson as part of a five-run seventh. But just when it looked as if the Cubs were in control with a 7-1 lead, things took a wild turn in the eighth.

Eugenio Suarez cut it to 7-5 with a grand slam against Porter Hodge, Geraldo Perdomo singled in a run and Randal Grichuk put Arizona on top by one with a two-run double. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. hit a three-run homer, making it 11-7.

The crowd of more than 39,000 let the Cubs hear it, but their team regrouped in the bottom half. Bryce Jarvis hit Nico Hoerner leading off and walked Pete Crow-Armstrong before Kelly drove a three-run homer to center. Tucker, the Cubs’ prized offseason addition, came through after Happ singled with one out. Suzuki followed with his drive against Joe Mantiply to give the Cubs a 13-11 lead.

Arizona, which had won five straight, became just the third team over the past 50 seasons to lose a game in which it had a 10-run inning at any point, according to ESPN Research.

“You just got to stay locked in,” Kelly said. “Obviously, you don’t want to … give up 10 in an inning. Obviously, you don’t want to do that. I think the biggest thing is coming back, regrouping and continuing to fight.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Chisholm suspended 1 game for conduct, tweet

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Chisholm suspended 1 game for conduct, tweet

Major League Baseball suspended New York Yankees infielder Jazz Chisholm Jr. for one game and fined him an undisclosed amount, the result of his actions during Thursday night’s win against the Tampa Bay Rays.

Chisholm was ejected in the seventh inning by plate umpire John Bacon for arguing after a called third strike on a full-count pitch from Mason Montgomery that appeared low.

Minutes later, he posted on his X account, “Not even f—ing close!!!!!” then deleted the post.

“I didn’t think before I had anything that I said was ejectable but after probably,” Chisholm said after the game. “I’m a competitor, so when I go out there and I feel like I’m right and you’re saying something to me that I think doesn’t make sense, I’m going to get fired up and be upset.

“I lost my emotions. I lost my cool. I got to be better than that. … I’m definitely mad at myself for losing my cool.”

Michael Hill, the league’s senior vice president for on-field operations, said Friday’s discipline was for Chisholm’s “conduct, including his violation of Major League Baseball’s Social Media Policy for Major League Players.”

MLB regulations ban the use of electronic devices during games. The social media policy prohibits “displaying or transmitting content that questions the impartiality of or otherwise denigrates a major league umpire.”

Chisholm did appeal the decision, allowing him to play in Friday night’s 1-0 win against the Rays. He started at second base and went 0 for 4 with two strikeouts.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

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First-time father-to-be Ohtani away from Dodgers

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First-time father-to-be Ohtani away from Dodgers

ARLINGTON, Texas — Shohei Ohtani is away from the Los Angeles Dodgers for the birth of the two-way superstar’s first child.

Manager Dave Roberts said before the Dodgers’ series opener Friday night against the Rangers that Ohtani was with his wife and going on MLB’s paternity list.

“He and Mamiko are expecting at some point. That’s all I know,” Roberts said. “I don’t know when he’s going to come back and I don’t know when they’re going to have the baby, but obviously they’re together in anticipation.”

The 30-year-old Ohtani posted on his Instagram account in late December that he and his 28-year-old wife, a former professional basketball player from his native Japan, were expecting a baby in 2025.

“Can’t wait for the little rookie to join our family soon!” said the Dec. 28 post that included a photo showing the couple’s beloved dog, Decoy, as well as a pink ruffled onesie along with baby shoes and a sonogram that was covered by a baby emoji.

Ohtani can miss up to three games while on paternity leave. The Dodgers have a three-game series in Texas before an off day Monday, then play the Cubs in Chicago on Tuesday.

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