McCutchen celebrates first Rangers HR by ... apologizing to a fan?
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PHILADELPHIA -- Andrew McCutchen knows how Phillies fans operate.
The Rangers' new designated hitter, who spent three seasons in Philadelphia from 2019-21, was prepared for anything he would get from the crowd at Citizens Bank Park during the season-opening series. On Sunday, after McCutchen launched his first homer as a Ranger -- a three-run shot in the top of the fourth -- a fan in the stands couldn’t help himself.
“You gotta be kidding me! Cutch, you gotta be kidding me!” a fan yelled from the lower bowl behind home plate. McCutchen said postgame that the fan in question was Dave Osokow, a local celebrity influencer.
McCutchen laughed as he jogged back to the dugout, shrugging toward Osokow as he issued an apology.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry!” he said as he chuckled.
“That's my guy, DaveO,” McCutchen said postgame. “Anyone from Philly knows who DaveO is. We were texting a little bit. We hung out while I was here. He's a big Philly guy, so I met him when I came over to Philly. Right there, he was basically like, ‘Man, stop hurting us.’ And I said, ‘No, dude, I can't do that.’ That was a good exchange with him. He's one of my guys.”
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McCutchen signed a Minor League deal with the Rangers on March 6 and made the Opening Day roster after a brief, albeit electric, Cactus League stint in which he hit .429 with a 1.270 OPS.
He went 2-for-4 with a double, a home run, three RBIs and two runs scored on Sunday. Both hits came off Phillies starter Jesús Luzardo, who finished seventh in NL Cy Young voting last season. McCutchen also had what proved to be the game-winning RBI single in the top of the 10th inning of Saturday's 5-4 victory.
“We didn't know what we were going to get out of Cutch, right?” said manager Skip Schumaker. “In Spring Training, it looked right, but you just don't know what it looks like until you start the season. He’s still got something left, and more. Those were some big hits he's had in the last couple games. Luzardo, we know how tough he can be. He's as good as there is in the league. For [Cutch] to hit a home run right there was really impressive. What he's doing right now is fun to watch.”