The Los Angeles Dodgers began a four-game set against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on Friday. For the Dodgers, Nick Tepesch made his first Major League start since September 2014, while Pirates’ righty Jameson Taillon took the mound for just his fourth start this season.
Riding a six-game winning streak, the Dodgers offense came in clicking with back-to-back two-out singles from Justin Turner and Adrian Gonzalez. However, Howie Kendrick struck out on a low fastball to end the threat.
After a pair of balls hit to left field result in two outs, third time was the charm for the Pirates as Andrew McCutchen dropped a base hit in front of Kendrick. Nothing came of it however, as Tepesch retired Jung-Ho Kang to end a scoreless first inning.
Joc Pederson led off the second with a base hit that found a hole in the Pirates’ shift. He was quickly erased from the bases on a Yasmani Grandal double play. Yasiel Puig was stranded by Tepesch after extending the inning with a base hit.
Matt Joyce doubled to start the bottom of the second and Jordy Mercer followed with a single to right field. Although Joyce was held at third base, Puig overthrew the cutoff man, which allowed Mercer to move into scoring position.
That cost the Dodgers as Sean Rodriguez knocked a two-run single into center. John Jaso added an RBI single, and Starling Marte an RBI double to extend the Pirates’ lead to 4-0 before Tepesch could get out of the inning.
Corey Seager pulled a double that hit off the top of the high wall in right field to give the Dodgers a runner in scoring position with none out. He then scored on Turner’s double down the left field line.
Gonzalez moved Turner over to third with a ground out on the right side of the infield, setting up the second run of the inning. Taillon, who winds up his ankle oddly with his delivery, lost his stability on the mound and balked home another run for the Dodgers.
The troubles for Tepesch continued into the bottom of the third, as Jung-Ho Kang led off with a solo home run that remained just fair down the left field line. Tepesch retired the side in order in the bottom of the fourth in what was his last inning of work.
Scott Van Slyke pinch-hit and drew a leadoff walk in the fifth. Chase Utley followed with a double that carried over McCutchen’s head in center field. Seager’s RBI single trimmed the Dodgers’ deficit to 5-3 and knocked Taillon out of the game.
Jared Hughes took over and grazed Turner’s left arm with his first pitch to load the bases. Hughes limited the damage to just one run — coming on a Gonzalez sacrifice fly — as he retired three straight.
An infield single and hit by pitch put Louis Coleman in some trouble in the bottom of the fifth. He got a pitch in on Joyce’s hands, but it was hit for an RBI bloop single that landed fair in shallow left field. A sacrifice fly made it 7-4, in favor of Pirates heading to the sixth.
Puig crushed a solo home run that reached the second deck in left field to cut the Dodgers’ deficit to 7-5 in the sixth inning. It also extended their streak of consecutive games with a home to 14, which tied the Washington Nationals for the Major-League lead this season.
Van Slyke, who remained in the game in left field after pinch-hitting, followed with a single to center. Hughes gave way to Kyle Lobstein, who promptly allowed singles to Utley and Seager that loaded the bases.
Neftali Perez replaced Lobstein and only gave up one run on a Turner sacrifice fly before ending the inning. Adam Frazier picked up a leadoff single in the bottom of the sixth in his first career Major League plate appearance.
With two outs and Frazier on third base, J.P. Howell intentionally walked McCutchen. Casey Fien then entered and retired Kang to end a scoreless inning. Joyce greeted Chris Hatcher with a leadoff solo home run in the seventh to give the Pirates a bit of a cushion at 8-6.
Mark Melancon came on in the ninth and induced a double play after Seager’s infield single. Melancon then struck out Gonzalez to earn a save in the Pirates’ victory that snapped the Dodgers’ six-game winning streak.
