San Francisco Chronicle
http://www.sfgate.com/giants/
July 8, 2012
PITTSBURGH, PA - JULY 7: James McDonald #53 of the Pittsburgh Pirates pitches against the San Francisco Giants during the game on July 7, 2012 at PNC Park in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images) Photo: Justin K. Aller, Getty Images / SF
Pittsburgh -- Almost every team has its Zack Wheeler, the one who got away. He was the top pitching prospect whom the Giants traded last season for a 44-game Carlos Beltran rental.
As the Dodgers scour the trade market for a starter this month, they can look back at a somewhat similar situation.
Two summers ago, they fortified their bullpen by trading for Pittsburgh closer Octavio Dotel. The cost was James McDonald, then a 25-year-old thrower, now a 27-year-old pitcher who belongs on the All-Star Game All-Snub team with Ryan Vogelsong.
They met at PNC Sauna on Saturday. Vogelsong was good, but McDonald was much better in a 3-1 Pirates victory that sent the Giants to their sixth loss in the past eight games.
Every All-Star Game has its share of snubs, but this year's National League pitching staff is a banner example.
Johnny Cueto, Vogelsong and McDonald rank 1-2-3 in ERA at 2.35, 2.36 and 2.37, respectively, with Cueto scheduled to pitch for the Reds on Sunday. Yet barring a last-minute invite, none is going to the All-Star Game.
The Giants are sending Matt Cain, Pablo Sandoval, Melky Cabrera and Buster Posey. The first-place Pirates have Andrew McCutchen and closer Joel Hanrahan, who saved Saturday's win.
Perhaps the three starters can meet for an all-you-can-eat snubfest and watch the game.
"I'm sure it's tough picking picking the teams," Vogelsong said after ending his stellar first half at 7-4. "Every year there are probably deserving guys who don't go. It just happens to be us three. Everybody who'll be there deserved to be picked as well."
Vogelsong flashed All-Star credentials even in defeat. He lasted seven innings for the eighth consecutive start and allowed three runs, a good total considering he gave up a career-high five doubles, and six extra-base hits for the first time since 2004, when he was pitching for Pittsburgh at Oakland.
"We got a good start from Vogey, but we ran into one of the better-pitched games we've seen," manager Bruce Bochy said.
Dodgers fans who were frustrated with McDonald's lack of progress in Los Angeles might be surprised to hear that, but he has benefited from his experience and instruction in Pittsburgh. He throws a two-seam fastball that tails away from right-handed hitters, which he complements with a curveball and changeup.
He struck out 10 Giants in seven innings and had them completely baffled. They consistently swung at balls out of the zone, yet gazed at strikes.
One consolation for the Giants: They do not have to face McDonald up to six times a season as they might have had he remained with the Dodgers and become this good. They met twice in 2012 and dealt him one of his three defeats, a 5-0 Matt Cain one-hitter in April.
Cain had a perfect game that day until McDonald singled in the sixth inning, the only baserunner Cain would allow. McDonald hurt the Giants again at the plate Saturday, or rather, Vogelsong hurt himself by walking McDonald to start the third inning.
Neil Walker got McDonald home with a one-out double. Michael McKenry hit a solo homer in the fourth and Pedro Alvarez hit an RBI double in the sixth.
Henry Schulman is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. E-mail: hschulman@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @hankschulman
No comments:
Post a Comment