J-mac outduels Hudson in Pirates 5-0 win

If you weren’t at the Pirates game on Tuesday, you really missed out. A pitcher’s duel it was.

Tim Hudson –a mentioned canidate for the Cy Young award this season–was dominate through the first six innings. He even had a perfect game through four. It wasn’t until the seventh inning that the Pirates were able to do some damage.

After only combining for three hits the entire game. The Pirates scored five runs in the seventh inning. The heart of the lineup –Garrett Jones and Pedro Alvarez– both hit doubles.

“We were just fortunate enough to capitalize on a few — I wouldn’t call them mistakes — just a few pitches that we were able to get enough wood on,” Alvarez said.

The Braves decided to walk Ryan Doumit intentionally to get to Ronny Cedeno who made them pay with a two-run RBI triple.

I was excited a little bit, but I calmed down when I came to the plate,” Cedeno said. “I said, ‘This is going to be mine.’ He missed his spot, and I drove the ball.”

Delwyn Young came in to pinch hit and blasted a two-run home run home run into the second deck of the left field bleachers. (His home run snapped an 0-for-28 skid by the Pirates pinch-hitters.)

Obviously, you know they’re a great team,” third baseman Pedro Alvarez said. “It’s a little more special when it’s a team like the Braves. Hudson is a great competitor, and he’s a great pitcher. We just always try to grind it out and play until the end.”  

Thanks to the great defense by the Buccos, James McDonald picked up a much deserved win. J-Mac pitched seven innings giving up zero runs on five hits, walked three and stuck out three. Not only did McDonald match Hudson, he pitched a shutout against the Braves who are play-off contenders.

“I don’t know how to explain good defense, but you really appreciate what your team does for you,” McDonald said. “You see them working out there hard, and it just makes you want to get the job done just that much more.”