Pirates OF McCutchen exits early with ailing side

PHOENIX (AP) Pittsburgh Pirates star Andrew McCutchen has made an early exit because of discomfort on his left side.

McCutchen left Sunday's game at Arizona in the middle of the eighth inning.

McCutchen drove in the tying run in the top of the eighth with a sacrifice fly. The NL MVP didn't take his spot in center field in the bottom half.

A day earlier, McCutchen was hit in the lower back with a pitch. He said he thinks that was in retaliation for Pirates reliever Ernesto Frieri hitting Arizona star Paul Goldschmidt in the hand on Friday, ending his season with a broken bone.