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Sinking Pirates try to avoid four-game sweep vs Cubs

Aug 4, 2011 - 2:44 PM (Sports Network) - Right-hander James McDonald gets the final chance at avoiding a sweep for the Pittsburgh Pirates tonight when they host the visiting Chicago Cubs in the finale of a four-game series at PNC Park.

The Pirates lost their third straight in the series and sixth in a row overall on Wednesday night, when Starlin Castro's home run in the eighth inning accounted for the only run as Chicago took a 1-0 win.

With the count full, Castro got hold of a fastball and drilled it over the wall in left-center. The blast was enough to push the Pirates under .500 for the first time since June 21.

Castro made a winner of Matt Garza (5-8), who pitched seven-plus innings and gave up just four hits and two walks with seven strikeouts. Garza claimed his first victory since June 27. He had been 0-2 in his last six starts.

Chris Resop (3-3) was tagged with the loss after giving up the homer. Charlie Morton threw seven scoreless innings and allowed five hits with two walks and seven strikeouts.

After being in first place for several days in July, the Pirates have fallen 6 1/2 games back of Milwaukee for the top spot in the National League's Central Division.

McDonald had won four straight decisions to improve to 7-4 on the year before taking a loss in his last start -- a 7-4 verdict at Philadelphia, where he was touched for 10 hits and five runs in five innings.

Previously, his last lost had come June 5 against the Phillies, before an eight-start string in which he was 4-0 and saw his season's earned run average plummet from 4.97 to 3.95.

He faced the Cubs once in that stretch, on July 8, and got a no-decision in a 7-4 Pittsburgh win after allowing three runs on five hits in 5 2/3 innings.

McDonald is 0-1 lifetime against Chicago in three appearances.

The Cubs reply with 35-year-old Mexican export Rodrigo Lopez, who'd won two straight before dropping a 13-5 verdict at St. Louis on July 30.

The veteran of 243 major-league outings -- including 205 starts -- had beaten the Chicago White Sox and Philadelphia in his last two decisions while allowing a combined seven hits and one run in 13 2/3 innings.

He faced McDonald and the Pirates in the aforementioned July 8 game and also got a no-decision after surrendering three runs on eight hits in six innings.

Lopez won his previous career start against Pittsburgh and has allowed four runs on 14 hits against the Pirates in 12 innings.

Pittsburgh has split its 12 meetings with the Cubs this season.