The Pittsburgh Pirates have had their hands full on the mound this week, with the Los Angeles Dodgers scoring a combined 25 runs in the first two games of the series.
That hot-hitting carried into Wednesday’s series finale, with the Dodgers coming away with a 6-4 victory to earn a sweep of Pittsburgh.
As has been the case in all three games of the series, the Dodgers got on the scoreboard first on an RBI-single by Yasmani Grandal in the first inning. The Dodgers had Pirates starter Clay Holmes on the ropes in his first career Major League start, but he escaped a bases load jam to limit the damage to just one in the first.
The Pirates then took their first lead of the series in the top of the third inning on a two-run double by Starling Marter off of Dodgers starter Rich Hill.
Hill wound up giving up just four hits and the two runs in five innings, although he was pulled after making just 73 pitches.
Los Angeles quickly regained the lead in the bottom of the third inning by scoring three runs of their own. Max Muncy led off the inning with a single, and then after a double off the bat of Cody Bellinger, Grandal drove in two more with a double. He then scored on a single by Chris Taylor.
They then added two more in the fifth, this time on a two-run single by Taylor to extend the lead to 6-2.
Reliever Daniel Hudson took over for the Dodgers in the sixth, but he did not last long. After facing just two batters, he was ejected by first-base umpire Jeff Nelson for a reason that isn’t quite clear.
Scott Alexander came in to replace him and got a double play ball on the first pitch he threw to end the inning. He then tossed a scoreless seventh to maintain the Dodgers lead.
Edward Paredes came in to pitch the eighth, but gave up a two-run home run to Gregory Polanco to cut the Dodgers lead to 6-4. He then gave way to Kenley Jansen, who earned a five-out save to complete the sweep.
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