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Gomez steps in for McDonald as Bucs face Mariners
Coming off first win with Seattle, Harang set to take on Pirates
By Joey Nowak / MLB.com | 5/7/2013 5:13 PM ET
James McDonald was set to stake his claim to a rotation spot against right-hander Aaron Harang and the Mariners' lineup on Tuesday night, but right shoulder discomfort robbed him of that opportunity, while perhaps partially explaining his early-season struggles.
McDonald is 2-2 with a 5.76 ERA, and his job was in limbo with veterans Francisco Liriano and Charlie Morton set to complete rehab stints soon. A stint on the disabled list removed his opportunity to stake his claim. Jeanmar Gomez will take his spot tonight against Seattle.
"When you don't make pitches, you don't get outs," manager Clint Hurdle said after McDonald's last start, a 12-8 loss to the Brewers. "We made way too many mistakes on the mound, start to finish."
Overall, the Pirates are 16-9 over their last 25 games after losing four straight and starting the season 1-5.
The Mariners, winners of seven of their last 10, will be wrapping up an unconventional five-game, six-day, two-city road trip to Toronto (three games) and Pittsburgh (two games).
Harang is coming off his best start of the season for the Mariners, going a season-high six innings and allowing just two runs against the Orioles for his first victory of the year. With that win, his ERA dropped from 11.37 to 8.68.
"He was due with his track record, pitching better than he has here, so you hate that it kind of falls on you," Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. "But he had both sides of the plate. We didn't mount a whole lot."
The Mariners have won three consecutive series after beginning the season 0-5-2 in their first seven.
Pirates: Running wild
• The Pirates have been successful in each of their last nine stolen base attempts. Starling Marte (10) and Andrew McCutchen(six) have recorded 16 of the team's 19 steals. • Tuesday marks the Pirates' first Interleague action of 2013, and just the second time they've hosted the Mariners (also in 2004). Pittsburgh went 10-8 against the American League last year, and 7-2 at PNC Park.
Mariners: Starting with a bang
• The Mariners have hit five leadoff home runs this season (three by Franklin Gutierrez and two by Michael Saunders), which ties the single-season club record set in 2002 and matched in '05 and '12.
• Justin Smoak has a hit in four of his last five games. In that span, he's batting .375 (6-for-16).
Worth noting
• Both teams are off Monday.
• Thirteen of the Mariners' first 33 games have been decided by two runs or fewer.
