After putting up their first 10 spot of the season Sunday against the Cubs, the Pirates looked to continue the hot-hitting against the first place Cincinnati Reds. With all due respect to the Cubs and their fans, the Reds are much, much better winning eight of their last nine games. Despite the hot streak of the Reds, the Pirates put up four quick runs to chase starter Bronson Arroyo from the game after just four innings en route to a 4-1 win.
The Pirates win gives them a season high four in a row and more importantly to fans, brings them to that ever evasive .500 mark at 24-24.
“Doesn’t matter if it’s the first place team or last place team,” Pedro Alvarez said. “We one today, but tomorrow we come in and forget about today. We take it one day at a time and pitch by pitch.”
While the offense put the runs, it was the pitching performance by James McDonald that once again stole the show on the North Shore of Pittsburgh. McDonald worked eight innings allowing just five hits and no runs on 103 pitches. The win by McDonald pushes his May record to 3-1 and drops his season ERA to 2.20, the lowest in the Pirates rotation and the 15th best in baseball.
“It’s easier for any pitcher to have a lead and just go out there and execute,” catcher Rod Barajas said. “It makes it more comfortable. It’s great that we are able to go and score early. J-Mac saw what we had going on and rolled with it. He’s been pitching outstanding for us all season long and he’s been great. I heard a lot of things about J-Mac and how he hasn’t gotten over that hump, I don’t see any hump anywhere around when he’s pitching. He’s been unbelievable this year.”
The flack on McDonald last year is that he couldn’t work out of the seventh inning. This season, McDonald has worked out of the seventh five times including today’s game. Coming into today’s start, McDonald has struck out 34 batters in the month. Despite only putting up five strikeouts today, McDonald found ways to get the outs and match his career-high pitching eight innings.
“It was pretty hot, but I tried to knock that out of my frame,” McDonald said. “I told myself I have to compete and pitch. I told myself that everyone is hot right now and I can’t use that as an excuse.”
McDonald, like the rest of the staff, has struggled to have run support from the offense. So is it easier to pitch knowing you have the lead?
“Having a lead is nice, but you got to tell yourself you can’t ease up,” McDonald said. “Just as quickly it was 4-0, it could be 4-4. So I have to stay on my toes and go after those guys the same way I would in a 1-0 or 0-0 game.”
McDonald has never thrown a pitch in the ninth inning as a starter. At 103 pitches entering the ninth, Pirates Manager Clint Hurdle opted to pull McDonald.
“Not much,” Hurdle said when asked if he gave any thought to bringing McDonald back out. “He finished strong and I think that was another great step forward for him. The pitch count was manageable and it was a hot day. We took what we got from him and moved on.”
McDonald said he wanted to go back out there in the ninth, but he understands why he didn’t.
“Every pitcher wants to get out there, but coach knows best,” McDonald said. “He’s out there watching the game a little more than me. That’s why he’s the coach, he sees those things.”
After his home run last night, Alvarez continued to swing a hot bat today as he an RBI double to the opposite field that missed a home run by inches to score Neil Walker. An RBI single by Jones would score El Toro to give the Pirates an early 2-0 advantage. In the third, Alvarez took a change up to right field for his second double of the game and would later score on a Rod Barajas single.
“That’s the important part of his growth,” Hurdle said of Alvarez. “That was a very professional at bat. He got in there and competed. His at bats will clean up over time. It’s important to show patience.”
Alvarez would miss out on another home run by inches as Drew Stubbs make a spectacular catch in center that appeared to hit off the wall before being caught.
“Obviously when you can get a hit you’ll take it, but I’m not too worried about that,” Alvarez said about the call. “It’s something that’s always been a part of the game. I’m not saying that he made the right or wrong call.”
We wondered when the bats would finally come around, would the pitching stick? So far in the past four games, the answer has been yes. Charlie Morton (2-5, 4.27 ERA) will look to continue the winning streak as he will take the hill for the Pirates in game two tomorrow night against Homer Bailey (3-3, 4.19 ERA) for the Reds. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. ET.
Photo credits: Getty Images
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