The Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Los Angeles Dodgers by a 5-3 score at PNC Park this afternoon, securing a series victory over one of the best teams in Major League Baseball.
This was a pitchers’ dual through the first five and a half innings, although this was also a bullpen-type game. Each starter – Ryan Pepiot for the Dodgers and Dillon Peters for the Pirates – lasted three innings, before giving way to their respective bullpens.
The Pirates broke a scoreless tie with three runs in the bottom of the sixth inning. Jack Suwinski gave them a 1-0 lead by hitting his 2nd homerun of the season – a solo shot to right field – to make it 1-0. Later in the inning, Josh VanMeter blasted a two run homerun to right center field to make it a 3-0 advantage.
As the good teams do, though, the Dodgers responded immediately in the top of the seventh. With the bases loaded, Edwin Rios doubled home Justin Turner, Cody Bellinger, and Chris Taylor to tie the game.
A solo homerun by Daniel Vogelbach in the bottom of the seventh – his fifth of the season – to right field gave the Bucs a 4-3 advantage. They added an insurance run in the bottom of eighth via a Ben Gamel ground ball fielder’s choice. The bullpen held off the Dodgers in the eighth and ninth innings to secure the victory for Pittsburgh.
This was a great series victory for the Pirates against one of the league’s best teams. Having just lost a series to the worst team in baseball, this was a terrific response by the Bucs. The ability to turn the page from game to game and series to series is a key trait for any good baseball team. The Pirates showed that this week and hopefully they can carry this mindset going forward.
The Bucs will look to continue the momentum for this win over to tomorrow, when they kick off a four game series against the Cincinnati Reds, who took two of three from the Bucs at Great American Ballpark last weekend.
Record vs. Dodgers: 2-1
Record vs. N.L. West: 3-3
Record at Home7-8
Overall Record: 13-17
And…
As Always…
Let’s Go Bucs!
