PITTSBURGH - James McDonald takes the mound every five days with a chip on his shoulder, eager to prove the Pittsburgh Pirates are legit.
"I want to be the guy that shows other teams that we're for real, that we do have quality players here," he said.
McDonald definitely made a statement on Saturday, scattering four hits over seven innings to win his fourth straight start and lead the Pirates to a 3-1 victory over the San Francisco Giants.
Mike McKenry hit a solo homer as the Pirates won for the ninth time in 11 games. They are guaranteed at least a share of the NL Central lead through the All-Star break, heady stuff for a franchise with 19 straight losing seasons.
Pittsburgh has a pair of All-Stars in center fielder Andrew McCutchen and closer Joel Hanrahan, but McDonald made a pretty good case that he should be in Kansas City next week too after striking out 10 against no walks and lowering his ERA to a sparkling 2.37.
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"(McDonald) had it all working today," San Francisco manager Bruce Bochy said.
On the mound and at the plate. McDonald, who had Pittsburgh's only hit in a 5-0 loss to Matt Cain and the Giants on April 13, led off the third with a walk against Ryan Vogelsong (7-4) and made it all the way home on Neil Walker's double to deep left-center field.
A winded McDonald slowly made his way to the dugout after racing 270 feet on the hottest day in the 12-year history of PNC Park. He was worried he wouldn't be ready to head out for the next inning when the skies opened up.
A 27-minute rain delay cooled things off and gave him a chance to regroup.
"The baseball gods must really like me right now," said McDonald, who added a single to in the fifth.
Walker finished with two doubles to extend his hitting streak to 11 games and Hanrahan worked the ninth to pick up his 23rd save.
Vogelsong was solid but not quite spectacular. He allowed three runs and eight hits in seven innings for the Giants, who have dropped six of their last eight games.
"It happens," Vogelsong said. "Obviously he's having a good season and throwing the ball well. Going in you know it's going to be a tough game. He just pitched a little bit better than me today."
Bochy wouldn't say whether McDonald and Vogelsong - who came in fourth and first in the NL in ERA - should be All-Stars. "You can't take 'em all," he said.
No matter, McDonald will certainly welcome the break after developing into a workhorse. The right-hander, 27, who only made it through seven innings five times in the first four years of his career, has now done it eight times in the last 14 starts.
"Every day is a statement day," McDonald said.
