Nam Y. Huh, Associated Press Chris Duffy, left, celebrates with Jose Bautista after the Pirates beat the Cubs, 7-5, yesterday at Wrigley Field in Chicago. Click photo for larger image. Today Matchup: Pirates (Ian Snell 12-9) vs. Reds (Kyle Lohse 1-2), 7:10 p.m. Where: Great American Ball Park, Cincinnati. TV/Radio: FSN Pittsburgh/KDKA-AM (1020) and Pirates Radio Network. Related articles Pirates Notebook: Burnett satisfied to slip through season unscathed Scouting Report: Cincinnati Reds Pirates Q&A with Dejan Kovacevic

CHICAGO -- As single-game performances by a leadoff hitter go, this one might have compared to the early model of Barry Bonds.

Or Rickey Henderson in his prime.

Or Max Carey, for those who go way back.

How else to describe Chris Duffy's contribution, from spectacular start to fabulous finish, toward the Pirates' 7-5 victory against the Chicago Cubs yesterday at Wrigley Field?

He homered in his first and final at-bats, the latter snapping a 5-5 tie in the ninth inning. He singled twice and walked, making him 5 for 5 in reaching base. He scored three runs and drove in just as many. He was 2 for 2 in steals. And, for good measure, he made a fine running catch in the seventh.

"Outstanding," manager Jim Tracy called it.

It was, perhaps, the Pirates' finest showing from the top of the order in years.

To Duffy?

He enjoyed the moment, for sure, and laughed when teammates teased him about becoming a slugger. He even mustered a smile when told of this tongue-in-cheek comment from Tracy, who has pushed him since spring training to hit the ball on the ground: "I just hope I see a line drive fall right in front of the left fielder tomorrow."

But Duffy also displayed a firm grasp that what he did made for no more than a microscopic slice of a long, strange season. And that might explain why he described it as simply another step toward being identified as the team's long-awaited, long-term answer in center field.

"Today is great," he said. "But baseball doesn't allow you to live off anything too long."

Is he making a case for himself?

"I'd like to hope so. I normally don't look ahead. But if anyone asks me what I want to do, I'd tell them I want to be the everyday center fielder. I want it to be my job."

Duffy's day began when he stepped into the box against Chicago's Sean Marshall and took strike one.

Immediately, he was ticked.

"I told myself earlier in the day I was going to think aggressively," Duffy recalled. "And then, I took a strike right away."

He lofted the next pitch, a flat fastball, over the ivy in right-center. It was his first home run of the season, the first leadoff shot of his career.

Much more was ahead.

He kept the Pirates' third inning alive with a two-out single, stole second and sprinted home on Xavier Nady's single.

The Pirates added three more in the next inning for a 5-0 lead, the last coming on Duffy's RBI single.

But Chicago roared back for a 5-5 tie off Shawn Chacon on the strength of a two-run home run by Aramis Ramirez in the fourth and solo shots by reliever Carlos Marmol and rookie Scott Moore in each of the next two innings.

Chacon was done after five, his ERA since joining the Pirates having swelled to 6.33.

"I'm sure there were a couple of those pitches he'd like to have back," Tracy said.

	THE RACE How Freddy Sanchez stands in his bid to become the first Pirates player to win the National League batting title since Bill Madlock in 1983. LAST GAME Yesterday: Sanchez did not play yesterday against the Cubs. LEADERS Freddy Sanchez .344 Miguel Cabrera, Marlins .339 Matt Holliday, Rockies .329 NEXT GAME Today: 7:10 p.m. vs. Reds. Pitcher: Kyle Lohse. Sanchez has not faced Lohse.

The Pirates went hitless the next four innings, until Duffy faced Scott Eyre to open the ninth.

He took a fastball for a ball, then lined another fastball into the center-field bleachers for a 6-5 lead.

"I saw the pitch really well," Duffy said.

"I know the scouting report on Duff," Eyre said. "Late in the game, he's a fastball hitter. So why did I throw two in a row? Dumb."

Two batters later, Nady took a Ryan Dempster fastball the other way for his 16th home run.

Salomon Torres finished it off for his fourth save, and the Pirates had taken three of four from the Cubs to emerge a half-game ahead in the standings.

Far more important, they might have found additional cause to consider center field taken for 2007, something they have yet to state.

Upon returning from his unexcused leave of the team Aug. 1, Duffy was told he would have the chance the rest of the way to show the job is his. And, after an awful 3-for-32 start in the first eight games, he has batted .300, has a .385 on-base percentage and is 15 of 16 when stealing.

Is he the man?

"That guy, as we move forward, is a valuable, valuable guy," Tracy said of Duffy. "We love what he does when he's on base, and we love what he brings defensively."

"I think he's shown that he can do it," shortstop Jack Wilson said. "And you know what? I think it was good for him to have that adversity. We all have that. Now, he's a new player."

"The Duffy we saw today was the Duffy all of us saw all through the minors," Ryan Doumit said. "His overall numbers don't indicate it, but there's never been one person in this clubhouse who doubted his ability."