Pitching pushes Bucs past Twins

Associated Press

pittsburgh

James McDonald gave the Pittsburgh Pirates a superb start on Thursday night.

He’s been doing that all season.

The fact he finished the game? That was a first.

McDonald pitched his first career complete game, Garrett Jones hit one of Pittsburgh’s three home runs and the Pirates won for the fourth time in five games, 9-1 over the Minnesota Twins.

McDonald (6-3) continued his breakthrough season by allowing one run, six hits and no walks with five strikeouts, lowering his ERA to 2.19. He has allowed one run or fewer in nine of his 14 starts this season.

“He was lights-out today,” said Pittsburgh third baseman Pedro Alvarez, who homered. “He’s been pretty good all year, but when his breaking pitch is working the way it was today for strikes and for chase, and he’s locating his fastball the way he was, he’s one of the best out there. And today’s performance is as good a performance as you’ll have from any pitcher.”

McDonald was 18-20 in 95 career starts heading into this season and is now among the NL leaders in ERA. He credited the additions of two veterans — pitcher A.J. Burnett and catcher Rod Barajas — to the Pittsburgh clubhouse this season for helping him finally harness his long-tantalizing potential.

It was after his most recent start — one in which he allowed one run but lasted only six innings — that Barajas sat him down.

“He told me I need to be that guy who wants seven to nine innings every night out,” McDonald said. “Tonight after the seventh, that just went through my brain the whole time, and I really wanted that.

“I could see he really wanted me to finish the game, all my teammates wanted me to finish the game — and I finally believed in myself I could finish the game.”

It was the Pirates’ first complete game this season.