Andrew McCutchen was hunting a home run, knowing he had yet to hit one at PNC Park this season and that his next would carry special significance in Pittsburgh Pirates history.

McCutchen picked the perfect moment.

With one out and two on in the fifth inning against the Miami Marlins, McCutchen hit a deep fly ball to the North Side Notch, the deepest part of the ballpark. The 38-year-old designated hitter didn’t think it would clear the fence, only for it to land in the first row of bleachers for his 241st home run with the Pirates.

With the 405-foot, three-run blast, McCutchen passed franchise icon Roberto Clemente among the club’s all-time home run leaders in grand fashion and sparked the Pirates to a 5-2 win Wednesday afternoon.

“How ’bout Cutch? Unbelievable. What an honor,” Pirates manager Don Kelly said with a smile to start his postgame news conference, sharing that it gave him chills to watch McCutchen tie Clemente on June 1 at Petco Park in San Diego. “But to surpass him — in that moment, too, three-run home run, huge hit in the game, just really, really cool to be here to witness it. It was a really awesome moment.”

No. 241 for No. 22 ???? pic.twitter.com/2evy3ATi6I

— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) June 11, 2025

Andrew McCutchen on what it meant to hit his 241st home run as a Pirate at PNC Park and receive a standing ovation and a curtain call after passing Roberto Clemente for third place among home run leaders in franchise history. pic.twitter.com/sASvTL3pdw

— Kevin Gorman (@KevinGormanPGH) June 11, 2025

McCutchen’s sixth homer of the season moved him out of a tie with Clemente, the Hall of Fame right fielder, and into sole possession of third place in franchise history. McCutchen now trails only Ralph Kiner (301) and Willie Stargell (475) among Pirates career home runs leaders.

McCutchen raised his right arm toward the sky as he rounded second base. It was cause for a celebration, prompting a standing ovation from the crowd of 16,709 and a curtain call for McCutchen after the Pirates posted his feat with a message on the Jumbotron scoreboard and an exclamation from public address announcer Guy Junker.

“They threw it up on the board for me,” McCutchen said. “So definitely had to go out there and be recognized for that and just tell everybody thanks for being there and being able to be in that moment with me.”

It was a moment that helped the Pirates clinch their second consecutive series win and finish a nine-game homestand against the Houston Astros, Philadelphia Phillies and Marlins with a 6-3 record. The Pirates (28-41) begin a seven-game road trip Thursday with a four-game series at the Chicago Cubs followed by three games at the Detroit Tigers.

When Ke’Bryan Hayes led off the fifth inning with a single and Oneil Cruz drew a full-count walk, it set the stage for McCutchen’s ascension in the record books. He drilled a 1-1 splitter by Marlins right-hander Cal Quantrill 405 feet to left center. McCutchen said he didn’t think it was going out, so he was relieved when it gave the Pirates a 4-0 lead.

McCutchen was worried Marlins left fielder Javier Sanoja would catch the ball until he turned his back. When it didn’t ricochet off the wall, McCutchen said he was in disbelief at first.

“I was like, ‘All right. Thank God that’s over, and thank God I did it here,’ ” McCutchen said. “I ain’t got to worry about it anymore or think about it.”

It provided a big offensive boost for the Pirates, who went 0 for 8 with runners in scoring position in Tuesday’s 3-2 loss to the Marlins.

“That was huge, to come up in that moment,” Kelly said. “We’ve been searching for hits with runners on base, and he came up with a huge one.”

Kelly was a teammate of McCutchen’s at Triple-A Indianapolis in 2007, so he’s found it “fascinating” to see his evolution into a five-time All-Star and 2013 National League MVP who served as the catalyst in helping the Pirates end a 20-year streak of losing seasons with three consecutive wild-card berths. McCutchen has carved out his own place as a franchise icon whose homer surpassed their most famous legend.

“I don’t even know what to say about it: It’s longevity. It’s consistency. Just the way that he’s gone about it,” Kelly said. “And wasn’t here for a few years, too. Where would it even be if he was here the whole time? He’s just had a heck of a career.”

It was the 325th home run of McCutchen’s 17-year major-league career, which ranks 10th among active players and moved him into a four-way tie for 127th place all-time. McCutchen has played 12 seasons for the Pirates but played five seasons elsewhere after he was traded to the San Francisco Giants in 2018. He bounced from the Giants to the New York Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies and Milwaukee Brewers before returning to the Pirates in 2023 on the first of three one-year, $5 million deals.

“That was pretty cool. To be gone for five years and still come back and take over the lead from Clemente is pretty impressive,” said Pirates second baseman/outfielder Adam Frazier, a longtime teammate. “It’s a testament of his hard work throughout the years to be able to stay in shape and be able to do that for such a long time. It was huge for us today, that three-run shot. We felt like we had it after that.”

The Pirates were clinging to a 1-0 lead after taking advantage of a Marlins error in the second inning. Henry Davis hit a two-out single to right-center and advanced to third on a bloop single to right by Hayes. When Hayes attempted to steal second, Marlins catcher Nick Fortes threw down even though there was a runner in scoring position. Hayes gave himself up on the play, a deke causing Fortes’ throw to skip past second baseman Xavier Edwards for an error that allowed Hayes to reach safely and Davis to score.

“Just trying to find ways to score,” Kelly said. “We’ve got to find a way to push some runs across. Sometimes it’s going to be by the three-run home run that Cutch hit, and sometimes we’re going to have to find other ways to do that, through small-ball, stealing, bunting, hit-and-run, that type of stuff. Just trying to manufacture any way we can.”

Pirates starter Bailey Falter cruised through the first four innings on 37 pitches, an efficiency that proved necessary in a 27-pitch fifth. With two outs, Fortes singled, Javier Sanoja doubled and Edwards drew a walk to load the bases. But Falter escaped by getting Agustin Ramirez to hit a 107 mph line drive directly to Bryan Reynolds in right field.

Falter called it a “huge relief” and said he couldn’t be more thankful.

“If a guy is going to hit a ball 107, it’s usually going to go pretty far,” Falter said. “I’m just happy it found No. 10 out there in right field.”

McCutchen’s homer gave the Pirates a four-run cushion, which proved necessary when the Marlins answered with two runs in the sixth. Heriberto Hernandez sent Falter’s 1-2 splitter 414 feet to center for his first career home run to cut it to 4-1.

With one out, Braxton Ashcraft replaced Falter but proceeded to walk Eric Wagaman and give up a single to Connor Norby. Wagaman scored on pinch hitter Jesus Sanchez’s groundout to first to cut it to 4-2, and Ashcraft was pulled after walking Liam Hicks. Dennis Santana stranded both runners by striking out Kyle Stowers.

The Pirates loaded the bases with one out in the eighth by sandwiching walks by Reynolds and Nick Gonzales around a Spencer Horwitz double. Frazier hit a line drive to left for a sacrifice fly to score Reynolds and make it 5-2. David Bednar earned his ninth save.

Andrew McCutchen on his interaction with Jim Kolesar of the South Side, the fan who returned the ball from his 241st homer with the Pirates after it got stuck under a bleacher in left field at PNC Park. pic.twitter.com/IwdUXr6lbg

— Kevin Gorman (@KevinGormanPGH) June 11, 2025

McCutchen’s historic home run ball was found wedged under a bleacher by longtime fan Jim Kolesar of the South Side, who returned the ball to the five-time All-Star and 2013 NL MVP.

Kolesar met McCutchen after the game, showing him the “scar” on the ball.

“It’s easy to authenticate,” Kolesar said in a video posted by the Pirates.

McCutchen also was greeted with a handshake and a hug by Roberto Clemente Jr., who congratulated him on passing his father. That’s why it meant so much that McCutchen’s historic homer happened in Pittsburgh.

“It’s great to have had that opportunity and to be able to do it here and for the fan who was able to return the ball to me and for him to do what he did was icing on the cake, too,” McCutchen said. “I was just happy to have that opportunity here at home to do that because, you know, who knows, if I hit that ball in Chicago, maybe I don’t get that ball back. So it was great for it to work out the way that it did.”

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