Pirates 6 - 5 Diamondbacks
Final
  for this game

Pirates try to make it two in a row versus D'Backs

Apr 9, 2013 - 3:01 PM

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(Sports Network) - California-born right-hander James McDonald will try to make it two straight wins for the Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday night when they visit Chase Field for the middle test of a three-game series with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Pittsburgh ended a four-game skid in the series opener on Monday, when Travis Snider and Andrew McCutchen each drove in two runs and Garrett Jones added a solo homer in a 5-3 triumph. Starling Marte had two hits, including a triple and scored two runs in the win.

Starter Wandy Rodriguez left the game due to tightness in his left hamstring after just 2 1/3 innings. He allowed two runs -- one earned -- on two hits. He was replaced by Jeanmar Gomez (1-0), who gave up one run on four hits over 1 2/3 innings in relief to earn the victory.

Paul Goldschmidt had an RBI double and Alfredo Marte and Wil Nieves each drove in one run in the setback. Right-handed starter Trevor Cahill (0-2) gave up four runs on four hits over five innings. He also struck out seven batters and walked three.

"Tonight I just didn't feel like I had it," Cahill said. "It was kind of a battle."

On Tuesday it will be McDonald, who was a tough luck loser in his initial start of 2013 on April 4, going seven innings and allowing just two hits and a run in a 2-1 loss to the Chicago Cubs.

McDonald walked two and struck out four while attempting to follow up a breakout season last year.

He'd won just 18 times in 95 big-league appearances before becoming a full- time member of the Pittsburgh rotation and going 12-8 with a 4.21 earned run average and a .233 opposition batting average in 171 innings.

In seven career meetings with the Diamondbacks, he's 2-2 with a 5.28 ERA in 15 1/3 innings.

For Arizona, offseason free agent acquisition Brandon McCarthy makes his second start for his new team and his first career start against Pittsburgh.

A veteran of 99 starts in 153 appearances with the Chicago White Sox, Texas and Oakland, McCarthy signed a two-year deal on Dec. 11 that's worth $15.5 million.

His two best seasons came in the last two years with the Athletics, when he was a combined 17-15 in 43 starts while striking out 196 batters in 281 2/3 innings.

McCarthy's lone meeting came with the White Sox on June 27, 2006, when he earned a hold after pitching a scoreless inning of relief in a 4-2 victory.

His 2013 debut ended in a no-decision after he allowed six runs on nine hits in five innings of Arizona's 10-9 win over St. Louis.

The Pirates won four of seven games against Arizona in 2012.






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