Each Thursday for the remainder of summer, Post-Gazette columnist Joe Starkey will break down the quarter-century in Pittsburgh sports. This week’s category is the five greatest single-game, individual performances since 2000.

Please take note, dear readers: This category rates performance from a single game, not a single play or a single day.

If it were a single play, I’m pretty sure James Harrison would take the prize for that epic 100-yard interception return on Kurt Warner. If it were a single day, Pirates outfielder Rob Mackowiak would win by a landslide.

All Mackowiak did on May 28, 2004, was witness the 11:12 a.m. birth of his son, Garrett, get the blessing from wife Jennifer to play in a 5 p.m. doubleheader against the Cubs, show up at PNC Park at 4, smash a two-out, walkoff gra

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