Pirates Three Stars of the Week: McCutchen Shines in Anemic Offense

It was another clunker of a week for the Pittsburgh Pirates, who were swept at home by the Chicago Cubs before managing to take one game in a four-game series with the Marlins in Miami.

The offense has been in a horrid stretch at the plate, though it received a boost when Henry Davis was called up from Triple-A. Davis did well in his first taste of the big leagues as he managed an .815 OPS, two doubles and a homer.

Fellow prospect Nick Gonzales was also called up from Indianapolis for his major league debut, though he hasn’t fared quite as well at the plate just yet.

The Pirates now sit at fourth place in the National League Central with a record of 35-42.

Here are the top three performers from last week.

Third Star: Luis Ortiz – 1-0, 1.13 ERA, 1er/8.0ip, seven hit, two walks, five strikeouts, one start

Ortiz’s lone start of the week was maybe the best of his brief big league career as he tossed a career-high eight innings.

The brilliant outing made Ortiz the pitcher of record in the Pirates’ lone win from their seven-game stretch.

Luis Ortiz with an absolutely gutsy performance tonight.

8 IP, 7 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 5 K, 97 pitches. He now has a 3.74 ERA. pic.twitter.com/WtZHLqolHK

— Platinum Ke’Bryan (@PlatinumKey13) June 24, 2023

Second Star: Johan Oviedo – 0-2, 2.08 ERA, 3er/13.0ip, 11 hits, no walks, nine strikeouts, two starts

Despite going 0-2 on the week, Oviedo impressed in both of his outings and didn’t walk a single batter.

The big right-hander held the Cubs to two runs in six innings at PNC Park before limiting the Marlins to just a single run across seven strong innings on Sunday afternoon.

Johan Oviedo, Nasty 88mph Slider. 😨 pic.twitter.com/st6mUJxvNK

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) June 25, 2023

First Star: Andrew McCutchen – .400/.571/.533, 6 for 15, two doubles, two steals, five games

McCutchen’s strong season at the plate continued and he was a rare bright spot for a Pirates’ offense that has beyond struggled of late.

McCutchen hit two doubles in one game against the Marlins on Saturday night. The first of those two was the 400th in his career and the 300th while wearing a Pirates’ uniform.

The milestones just keep coming for 22. pic.twitter.com/6rIDE3RLhP

— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) June 24, 2023

This week, the Pirates are back home for a three-game series against the San Diego Padres beginning Tuesday night. They then host the Milwaukee Brewer for three over the weekend.

Check back next week for the Pirates’ top three performers from the week ahead.