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Pirates beat Mets 11-6 in McCutchen's debut

Jun 4, 2009 - 10:15 PM PITTSBURGH(AP) -- Prized prospect Andrew McCutchen did his best to make the Pittsburgh Pirates forget about Nate McLouth - at least for now.

A day after the team traded the All-Star outfielder to Atlanta, McCutchen had a productive major league debut to help Pittsburgh complete a rain-shortened, three-game sweep of the New York Mets with an 11-6 victory Thursday.

"Everybody's talking about the future. We're not looking to the future. This is the now," Pirates manager John Russell said. "We're very excited about where we're at, and we added a very talented player."

Jason Jaramillo drove in a career-high four runs, Ramon Vazquez went 4 for 4 and Andy LaRoche had two RBIs and scored twice for Pittsburgh, which roughed up Mike Pelfrey to win its fourth in five games.

Wednesday night's game was rained out, but at about the time it was supposed to start the Pirates dealt an All-Star outfielder for the second consecutive season. The move made room for the 22-year-old McCutchen, a speedy center fielder who was immediately called up from Triple-A Indianapolis.

He went 2 for 4 with three runs, a walk, an RBI and a stolen base against the Mets.

"With what happened (Wednesday), this was a big win for us as a team and for the city," LaRoche said.

Carlos Beltran, playing his first game in five days because of a stomach virus, homered and doubled off the wall. David Wright broke out of a slump with two hits and two walks for the Mets, who have lost four of five. They were swept on the road for the third time this season.

Pelfrey (4-2) allowed a career-worst nine runs - eight earned - and nine hits in 3 2-3 innings. He is the first Mets starter to allow nine runs since Jason Vargas on July 3, 2007, at Colorado.

Pelfrey had been charged with a combined seven runs over his past four starts. He walked four and struck out three in this one.

"I had the absolute worst outing of my entire career today," Pelfrey said. "I wasn't executing pitches, and they made me pay for it."

Steven Jackson (1-0) earned his first major league win in his second game with two scoreless innings of relief.

The Pirates had only two extra-base hits in the game - a double and a triple - but scored nine runs during the first four innings.

Russell inserted McCutchen into the leadoff spot hoping he'd spark the offense. It worked immediately, as McCutchen singled up the middle in his first major league at-bat, starting a four-run first. LaRoche and Jaramillo each had a two-run single.

"I had a few butterflies, but after you get that first one out of the way, you pretty much get settled down and say, 'Let's play ball now,"' McCutchen said.

McCutchen singled home Vazquez in the seventh and scored when Nyjer Morgan followed with a triple. Morgan had two hits and scored twice.

"I don't try to come up here to take (McLouth's) place," said McCutchen, selected two spots after Pelfrey in the first round of the 2005 draft. "I just came up here because I believe I earned it. They know what game I can play, so I basically just want to play my game and stay within myself. I know if I do that, I'll have success."

Adam LaRoche had an RBI double in the second, and Pittsburgh's four-run fourth chased Pelfrey. Jaramillo hit his second two-run single of the game, and Vazquez also had an RBI single.

The Mets got RBI singles from Daniel Murphy and Luis Castillo, and an RBI double from Alex Cora, in the second. Fernando Martinez doubled to score Wright in the fifth.

New York came to Pittsburgh on Monday having won five of six.

"We need to put this series behind us, really, and move forward," Wright said. "It's funny how this game works. We were playing good baseball before we got here."

Pirates starter Ross Ohlendorf was charged with five runs, nine hits and three walks in 4 1-3 innings. Tom Gorzelanny, Sean Burnett, Jackson and Jesse Chavez combined for 4 2-3 innings of one-hit relief.

"Andrew had a great first game. He's an exciting player, and there are a lot of incredible things he can do," Ohlendorf said.

Notes: Andy LaRoche was removed at the start of the seventh inning due to a bruised right knee. He was hit by a pitch in the fourth. X-rays were negative. ... Despite being swept at Citi Field last month, Pittsburgh is 11-5 against NL East teams this season.