McCutchen exits opener vs. Rockies in sixth

DENVER -- Pirates manager Clint Hurdle nixed any concern that Andrew McCutchen was yanked from Friday night's loss to the Rockies due to his lingering shoulder injury, saying that he simply wanted to give his star outfielder extra rest.

McCutchen exited an eventual 10-1 loss to Colorado at Coors Field in the sixth inning, and left fielder Starling Marte slid over to center field for the remainder of the game.

"We gave him the day off yesterday to kind of work him through some soreness and just got him out then because we felt it was the right move to make," Hurdle said.

McCutchen was scratched before Thursday's 5-4 win over the Marlins due to right shoulder tightness before entering as a pinch-hitter in the seventh. One of the leading candidates for the National League Most Valuable Player Award, McCutchen went 1-for-2 with a first-inning single and a walk before he was pulled. He has been on a tear in August, hitting .571 with six RBIs and four extra-base hits in eight games.