PITTSBURGH — (AP) — Lance McCullers Jr. finally got some peace of mind on Tuesday night.
The Astros right-hander pitched six scoreless innings to get his first win since Sept. 21, 2022, as Houston beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 3-0. McCullers missed the 2023 and 2024 seasons because of injuries and had not won in five starts this year since being activated from the injured list on May 4.
McCullers (1-1) struck out seven and walked one while outdueling Pirates ace Paul Skenes, who gave up one run — on a solo homer by Christian Walker in the seventh — in eight innings.
“It took a while, but we got there,” McCullers said of getting the win. “I’m just happy that I’m kind of back in the mix with the guys, and I’m able to give them legitimate opportunities to win.”
McCullers was also happy to have a difficult off-field situation behind him.
A drunken bettor who made online death threats aimed at McCullers' family lives overseas and told Houston police he was sorry for what he had done, a department spokesperson said Monday.
McCullers received the threats on social media directed at his children after a poor start against the Cincinnati Reds on May 10 in which he allowed seven runs while recording only one out.
The Astros said Houston police and MLB security were notified. McCullers and his wife Kara have two young daughters. Astros owner Jim Crane hired 24-hour security for them.
Police public information officer Erika Ramirez said the man who made the threats was identified during an investigation. Because no charges have been filed, police are not disclosing his identity or where he lives.
“I don’t want to keep on about it, but a lot of thanks go to the Astros, the Astros security, Jim Crane, MLB security, my teammates, the HPD,” McCullers said. “Having resolution is nice. Not being close to Houston is nice. The fans are super supportive, too, and I appreciate that. It’s good that it’s behind us and our family feels safe again.”
The man told police that he would like to apologize to McCullers for the threats. McCullers said he would accept.
“As a follower of Christ and called to love our neighbor and forgive, I would be open to that,” he said.
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