Pirates manage only one hit against San Francisco’s Cain

Associated Press

SAN FRANCISCO

James McDonald took no pleasure in being the only player to reach base against Matt Cain.

As has been the case so far this season, even success for the Pittsburgh Pirates has been hard to celebrate.

Cain allowed only a single to the opposing pitcher in the sixth inning during a near-perfect performance Friday, throwing his third career one-hitter to lead the Giants past the Pirates 5-0 in San Francisco’s home opener.

“You think about, it’s like, ‘Man, the pitcher stood in his way for a perfect game,”’ a somber McDonald said. “But it happens.”

Cain (1-0) struck out 11 and permitted just the lone runner in the fifth shutout and 14th complete game of his career. McDonald, a career .069 hitter coming into the game, lined a sharp single to left field with two outs in the sixth inning.

Fans in the sellout crowd of 41,138 jumped to their feet to give Cain a loud ovation on a sun-touched day along San Francisco Bay. The hit stood over the final 10 outs and remained the only blemish on Cain’s remarkable afternoon.

Leave it to another pitcher to prevent perfection.

“That’s the beauty of the game,” Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. “A swinging bat is a dangerous bat. I should’ve hit him higher in the lineup.”

San Francisco backed the run-starved Cain for the 2012 home debut.

Aubrey Huff homered and drove in three runs as the Giants returned from a rough 2-4 road trip, getting swept at Arizona and taking two of three at Colorado. Buster Posey also hit an RBI double in his first regular-season game at AT&T Park since his season-ending injury in a collision at the plate with the Marlins’ Scott Cousins last May 25.

McDonald (0-1) produced his seventh career hit but Pittsburgh dropped its fourth straight game after being swept at Dodger Stadium.

He allowed three runs and six hits in 52/3 innings, struck out one and walked three.