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 laughed as he jogged back to the dugout, shrugging toward the crowd as he issued an apology.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry!” he said as he chuckled.
“The fan base is passionate,” McCutchen said ahead of Opening Day. “They're going to hold you accountable every time you step out there. I like being held accountable. They have an expectation of their team and of you, personally. You can't go through the motions when you get here, because if you do that, they're going to remind you. I appreciated that.”
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.
McCutchen has stayed hot in his return to Philadelphia this weekend, starting on Saturday when he delivered what proved to be the game-winning RBI single in the top of the 10th inning of the Rangers' 5-4 victory. Then, along with his homer on Sunday, he later added a double and came around to score on Kyle Higashioka's RBI single in the top of the sixth.