Bell homers to set pre-break NL record for XBH

PITTSBURGH – At some point, maybe after his first Home Run Derby or his appearance in Tuesday’s All-Star Game or at the end of the season, it’s all going to hit Josh Bell.

He’s writing Pittsburgh Pirates and National League history on a nightly basis with every extra-base hit, every home run, every RBI. He did it again during the Pirates’ 6-5 win over the Cubs on Wednesday night at PNC Park.

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Bell ripped a run-scoring double off the Clemente Wall in right field during the Pirates’ three-run fourth inning, then he tied his career high with his 26th homer -- a solo shot off Cubs starter Yu Darvish in the sixth. That increased Bell’s extra-base hit total on the year to 59, which put him in uncharted territory.

Since the first Midsummer Classic in 1933, no NL player has ever racked up more extra-base hits before the All-Star break than Bell this season.

“It’s cool,” Bell said with his typical humility. “Fuel to the fire, one of those things where I can kind of look back after this half is done and maybe smile a little bit.”

Bell’s home run pushed him past Albert Pujols, who had 58 extra-base hits before the break in 2003, to set the new record. Pujols had 31 doubles and 27 homers through 93 first-half games in ‘03. Bell has 26 homers, 30 doubles and three triples with four games remaining before he heads to Cleveland for the MLB All-Star Game presented by Mastercard.

In May, Bell recorded more total bases in a month than Ralph Kiner ever did. He had more total bases in the month of May than anybody since Willie Mays in 1958. He was the third player in NL history to have at least 12 homers and 12 doubles in any calendar month; the other two were Hank Aaron and Frank Robinson. Now, he’s broken a record previously held by Pujols.

It's almost hard for Bell to wrap his mind around the company he keeps.

“No, it’s nuts. Crazy to think about,” Bell said. “It’s not over yet. Just try to rinse it off and come back tomorrow.”

Bell has now pounded more extra-base hits this season than he did in all of 2017, when he finished third in the National League Rookie of the Year Award voting. He has already surpassed his total-bases output (206) from all of last season. He has driven in an MLB-best 80 runs in 85 games, putting him one shy of Gregory Polanco’s team-leading 81 RBIs in 130 games last season. Willie Stargell is the only Pirates player to drive in more runs (87 in 1971) before the All-Star break.

Oh, and the Pirates still have four more games to play before Bell heads to Cleveland. What comes next?

“The balls that he’s squaring up and how hard and far he’s hitting them, the productiveness of his at-bats, something’s going to happen every time he’s at the plate,” starter Chris Archer said. “It’s really fun to watch, really fun to be a part of. This is just the beginning of something really, really special for him.”