Andrew McCutchen’s Leadoff Shot Sparks Pirates’ 7-HR Barrage Against Mariners

Andrew McCutchen led off the game with a home run that started a record-tying seven-homer barrage by the Pittsburgh Pirates as they beat the Seattle Mariners 11-6 on Friday night in the opener of a three-game series at T-Mobile Park.

Jack Suwinski had a two-homer game – his third career multi-HR game and second this year — while Carlos Santana, Ke’Bryan Hayes, Tucupita Marcano and Bryan Reynolds also connected.

The Pirates’ seven longballs tied a club record set in 1894 and matched in 1947 and 2003. It also marked the first time six different Pirates homered in the same game since at least 1901.

The Pirates (26-24) won for just the second time in their last six games and the Mariners (26-25) had their four-game winning streak stopped.

It was the 21^st career leadoff home run for McCutchen and his ninth with the Pirates. He is fourth on the franchise list behind Barry Bonds (20), Al Martin (10) and Adam Frazier (10).

Suwinski and Hayes had back-to-back homers during a five-run fifth inning in which the Pirates broke a 2-2 tie. It was the seventh time the Pirates had scored at least five runs in an inning this season, including three times in the past seven games.

Santana’s leadoff homer in the fourth inning drew the Pirates even with the Mariners. It was the first time he connected since April 7, giving him three home runs for the season.

Bryan Reynolds broke the tie with a two-run triple that came after Austin Hedges and McCutchen singled. Two outs later, Suwinski hit a two-run shot and Hayes followed with just his second homer of the season and first since April 15.

Suwinski and Marcano hit solo blasts in a two-run seventh and Reynolds connected in the eighth inning to increase the Pirates’ lead to 11-6.

Mitch Keller (6-1) won his third straight decision despite allowing a season-high six runs in six innings. He also surrendered seven hits while walking eight and striking out two.

That snapped Keller’s streak of five straight starts with at least eight strikeouts and one walk or less, the longest since at least 1901.

The Pirates hit four of their home runs off George Kirby (5-4), who was tagged for seven runs and nine hits in 4.2 innings.

Reynolds had three hits and four RBIs and Suwinski added three hits and three RBIs to pace the Pirates’ 15-hit attack. McCutchen, Marcano and Ji Hwan Bae had two hits apiece.

After McCutchen’s leadoff homer, the Mariners’ Julio Rodriguez countered with a solo home run in the bottom of the first inning.

The Mariners moved ahead an inning later when Taylor Trammell singled in a run to make it 2-1.

Rodriguez’s two-run single in the fifth got the Mariners within 8-4. The Mariners’ J.P. Crawford hit a two-run blast in the eighth.

The series continues at 4:10 p.m. Saturday with Roansy Contreras (3-4, 4.50) starting for the Pirates against Luis Castillo (3-2, 2.97). Contreras is 0-3 with a 5.64 ERA in four starts in May. In 13 career starts against the Pirates, Castillo has a 5-4 record and a 2.51 ERA.