Pirates Notebook: Change in approach helps Maholm
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CINCINNATI -- One down for Paul Maholm, but how many more to come?
The Pirates' left-hander pitched very well Friday night, allowing two runs and throwing 99 pitches in seven innings against Cincinnati.
Was that performance an aberration or does it signal the promise of good things to come, namely a string of consistently decent starts?
"Absolutely," manager Jim Tracy said.
Perhaps, a new mind-set will enable Maholm to join Ian Snell and Tom Gorzelanny as consistent starters. This mind-set came into play in what could have been a very troublesome fourth inning Friday night.
Maholm, pitching with a 2-0 lead, had two outs and a runner on, but walked Alex Gonzalez and Edwin Encarnacion. He also fell behind David Ross before coming back to strike him out.
"The past few starts, I just didn't have the pitch to get out of it," Maholm said. "[Friday] night, I had the confidence back. The past few starts whenever I'd walk two guys in a row, I'd just give in and try to throw a strike. [Friday] night, I was just going to go after [Ross] and make my pitch and make him hit my pitch."
"Very important," Tracy said of Maholm putting down that inning. "As you grow as a major-league pitcher, one of the things you understand is damage control and how it relates to keeping your club in the game. He did a very fine job of it."
Can Maholm maintain that approach?
"From now on, it's going to be 'Go as hard as I can for as long as I can,' " Maholm said. "They're going to have to hit my pitch. If I walk a guy, I walk a guy."
Doumit recovers fast
Ryan Doumit, who left the game in the fourth inning Friday night to go to a hospital for a CAT scan, actually was struck by a bat twice in the third inning. Ross hit him as he brought his bat to his shoulder to get ready to hit.
"That was nothing," Doumit said. "It was a little tap compared to the other one."
That was Ryan Freel's bat as the Cincinnati outfielder bounced to shortstop.
"That one hit me square on the side of the head," Doumit said. "It missed the helmet and got me in the temple."
After Doumit batted in the fourth and grounded into a double play, he began to feel poorly.
"I remember running [to first base]," Doumit said. "I felt like I was running in quicksand. I felt like I was running as hard as I could and was going nowhere. It was really weird. I got back to the dugout and started putting on my shin guards, and I felt like I was going to faint."
Trainer Brad Henderson took him out of the game. The CAT scan showed no damage, and Doumit apparently also passed a concussion test yesterday.
"That test, they show you about 10 different shapes and then re-arrange them -- turn them upside down -- and ask, 'Is this the way you saw them the first time? ' " Doumit said. "It's really confusing actually. If you were non-concussive, it would be tough."
Doumit is supposed to take two games off, beginning last night. It was not immediately clear if that meant he could pinch-hit.
Gorzelanny doing fine
Left-hander Tom Gorzelanny, struck on his left thumb Thursday by a line drive in St. Louis, will throw his usual between-starts bullpen today. He continues on schedule to make his next start Tuesday night against San Diego.
Bullington regains his touch
Bryan Bullington yesterday had his first solid start since May 5 for Class AAA Indianapolis. The right-hander had had three mediocre to poor starts in between. Bullington allowed three hits, a walk and an unearned run in 6 2/3 innings as the Indians won at Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, 6-2. He raised his record to 7-2 and lowered his earned run average to 2.64.
A rare event
The Pirates Friday night became the first team to score at least eight runs in a 10th inning since San Diego scored a National League-record nine in the 10th May 28, 1995 in a 13-5 win at Philadelphia.
INDIANAPOLIS (28-19) won at Scranton/Wilkes/Barre, 6-2. RHP Bryan Bullington (7-2, 2.64) raised his International League-leading victory total by allowing one unearned run and three hits in 6 2/3 innings. He struck out four and walked one. RHP Josh Sharpless (2.96) allowed one run in 2 1/3 innings of relief. CF Rajai Davis (.310) went 2 for 4 with an RBI and two steals. 1B Brad Eldred (.227) went 0 for 5 with two strikeouts.
ALTOONA (19-26) lost at Bowie, 4-2, to extend its losing streak to 10 games, one shy of the franchise record. RHP Wardell Starling (2-4, 5.60) allowed three runs in 1 2/3 innings before being ejected for arguing with an umpire. CF Andrew McCutchen (.207) went 2 for 3 with a sacrifice fly. 3B Neil Walker (.273) went 0 for 4 and committed his 10th error.
LYNCHBURG (22-23) split a doubleheader with Potomac, winning, 2-0, and losing, 10-7. In the first game, LHP Kyle Bloom (5-3, 4.02) pitched a seven-inning shutout, allowing nine hits and striking out seven. In the nightcap, RHP Dionis Rodriguez (0-0, 3.60) allowed two runs in five innings. For the day, 1B Jason Delaney (.371) hit hits sixth and seventh home runs and went 3 for 7 with a triple and three RBIs.
HICKORY (19-27) lost to Asheville, 9-7. RHP Mike Crotta (2-2, 4.82) allowed eight runs, four earned, in five innings. 3B Eddie Prasch (.222) hit his second home run and went 2 for 4.
First Published May 26, 2007 10:47 pm
