Pirates’ McDonald beats Astros, rain

Associated Press

PITTSBURGH

Maybe all James McDonald needed to pitch deep into a game was a little urging from Mother Nature.

Working quickly in a steady rain, McDonald pitched into the eighth inning to lead the Pittsburgh Pirates to a 3-1 win over the Houston Astros on Monday.

“Great tempo, rhythm, all of it,” Pittsburgh manager Clint Hurdle said. “This was a big step forward for him.”

McDonald can be dazzling at times with his electric 95 mph fastball but often struggles with his command, making it difficult to last into the later innings.

There were no such issues against the Astros. McDonald (9-7) threw 91 pitches before leaving with one out in the eighth following the second-longest outing of his career. He may have made a run at a complete game if not for a pair of walks in the eighth.

“I feel like things are going in the right direction right now, just getting ahead of guys,” McDonald said. “I think that’s the big key to the success today.”

The game was delayed 56 minutes by rain and was played in a steady drizzle as both teams hustled to avoid a rainout. The grounds crew frequently added fresh dirt to the pitcher’s mound to keep it from getting muddy.

“No one wants to pitch under those circumstances,” catcher Ryan Doumit said. “It’s hard enough to pitch as it is but with a wet mound it’s even harder. For him to go out and pitch the way he’s pitched just gives you a glimpse of what he’s capable of.”