Things were getting a little hairy. After starting the season 7-0, the man they call D-Train had suddenly coughed up two of three. Uh, oh. Derail. This couldn?t be happening. No way. Relax. Things are back to normal. And it didn?t even really take that long. Patience is a virtue. We all know that. Right? Dontrelle Willis ran his record to 9-2 by mowing down the Pirates 6 to 3, and in the process became the first pitcher in the majors to seize nine victories. He also kept his sterling ERA under two (1.85). For good measure, he contributed a single and a double to the cause, which snapped a Florida nine-game losing streak in PNC Park. The fish were beginning to feel cursed, if seafood can feel such a thing. ?Hitting is an attitude,? he declared. And he means it. With a career average of around .220, he has learned the value of helping himself with the stick. The 23-year old lefthander was used as a pinch-hitter on nine occasions in 2004. And another thing: He will most likely reach the All-Star game for the second time in three years. As a pitcher, of course -- maybe even get selected to start. It?s as obvious as that pimple on your nose. ?There's a reason he's 9-2,? Pirates manager Lloyd McClendon snorted. Dontrelle was born in Oakland, California, and he now makes his home in nearby Alameda. In the year 2000, he was 12-1 as a high school kid, with an ERA of 0.82 and 111 Ks in 70 innings. Seems like they call that a ?PHEE-nom?. He was 27-6 (2.31) in four years of minor league starts. National League Rookie of the Year honors grabbed him in 2003, when he went 14-6 with a 3.30. ?He's amazing -- he goes after hitters,? said Miguel Cabrera of Willis. ?He throws strikes. We are excited for him, and we play hard for him.... I wish he could pitch every day.? That would be a fun thing. But to this point, it hasn?t been necessary. The Marlins are in the thick of it once again. Josh Beckett (7-3, 2.58) gives them a solid second banana, and although Al Leiter (2-6, 6.45) has struggled, he has been a quality guy in the past. Toss in A.J. Burnett (3-4, 3.03) somewhere, as well. Cabrera has had a sensational season so far, hitting .347 with 10 homers and 35 RBIs, and has had help from Carlos Delgado (.313, 11 and 37). Paul LoDuca (.287), Juan Encarnacion (.272), and Alex Gonzalez (.277) have been respectable. With a high leg kick reminiscent of the great Juan Marichal, Willis was taught the art of pitching at an early age by his mother Joyce, who was a catcher for an elite softball team. Her favorite player was Vida Blue. Any resemblance to Dontrelle is purely coincidental. Sure. Picked initially in the 8th round and signed by the Chicago Cubs, he was traded in the spring of 2002 to Florida. His quick rise to fame has been spectacular. Not many can lay claim to Rookie of the Year with a world-champion ring at the age of twenty-one. The Marlins will be battling a number of teams in the sardine-packed East, where they currently find themselves in last place, but just 1? games out. Pitching wins, however, and their present team ERA of 3.57 ranks them first in the league. You have to like their chances. Dontrelle has settled into a pleasing comfort level that was somewhat missing during his first couple of years. And it shows. ?Mentally, I know what I have to do, whereas before I was dumbfounded by parks, hot dogs at Dodger (Stadium),? said Willis. ?I was pretty much wide-eyed about everything.? Boy! Those must have been some kinda dogs.