"It was yet another forgettable outcome for the freefalling Pirates, this flat-line 4-0 loss to the San Diego Padres yesterday at PNC Park.

The offense was blanked for the 15th time, most since the same total in 2002.

Paul Maholm was, to use his own term, "bad."

And catcher Ryan Doumit made two throwing errors that led to runs.

Still, ask most of the 24,028 in attendance what will resonate well beyond another hollow September loss in a meeting of last-place teams, and it surely will be the breathtaking catch Lastings Milledge made that, without a doubt, represented his welcome-to-Pittsburgh moment.

With two aboard, two outs and San Diego ahead, 3-0, in the sixth, David Eckstein drove a ball deep to left. Milledge, with a pristine break, tracked it full-throttle, no pause for the looming fence, then slid on one knee at the track to backhand it."