What if you made your major league debut, and hardly anybody was there to see it?

When Eric Hacker ascended the PNC Park mound late Tuesday night for the moment he dreamed about most of his 26 years of life, not to mention his eight minor league years and 102 games, one patron clapped.

Yes, in those dreams, the crowds and the moment were a tad bigger than the eighth inning of a five-run deficit en route to a 10-4 defeat before what remained of a few thousand patrons.

"Yeah, you know, it's been a little different. Especially when we were in Houston and LA" last week in front of almost sellout crowds, Hacker said the day after. He shrugged. "That's part of the game. You try to get tunnel vision when you get out there. I guess [after] playing in front of 15,000, 50,000 is a little bit different. It's what you play the game for, to go out there and compete and pitch in front of the fans. I was just excited."

Three hits and two runs in one inning wasn't quite the end result in those dreams, either. But Hacker, acquired in May from the Yankees for Romulo Sanchez, summed it thusly: "You got to start somewhere.

"One thing [Pirates pitching coach Joe Kerrigan later] said to me, 'Hey, you haven't been out there in two weeks. You stayed within yourself pretty well and made some pretty good pitches,' " said Hacker, who last pitched Sept. 6 in a six-inning, two-run start for the Class AAA Indianapolis Indians. "I went back and looked at some tape. Overall, I thought it was OK.

"It was a long time coming, I guess. To be here a couple of weeks, prepare myself every day and not get in. You know what, it was exciting, to be able to get out there. Some guys reminded me, that only happens one time in your career, your debut. Once I got out there, I kind of took a moment, took it in. Then I just forgot about it. Unfortunately, I gave up a couple of runs."

Manager John Russell was hoping for a better inaugural outing for Hacker, who went 6-7 with a 4.45 ERA in the minors this season.

"You always wish the circumstances were better -- you can come in and win a game that you can be a little more excited about," Russell said. "It's hard to be excited about your outing in a loss. But it's an opportunity. It's a moment, obviously, I'm sure he'll never forget."

• Reliever Joel Hanrahan might throw a side session today or tomorrow to test his previously ailing right elbow and "see if he's ready to go into a game," Russell said.

• Third baseman Andy LaRoche was headed for a second consecutive night off -- "let him regroup for a day," Russell said beforehand -- until the manager inserted him in a double-switch in the seventh inning.

• President Frank Coonelly and Dennis DaPra, executive vice president and general manager of facilities, talked with the players in the clubhouse a few days ago about the G-20 trickle-down. Said Russell: "This part of town, there will be more security. We'll have more security in the ballpark. Maybe leave [home] a little earlier just in case it takes a little longer to get here. So the players have a little bit of an idea. All indications are, we should be fine."