Pirates Defeat Dodgers in Messy 12-7 Skirmish

Beckett’s impinged hip allowed three homeruns. The Dodgers hit two homeruns of their own. Four batters got beaned. The Pirates erred twice. The Dodgers bullpen allowed 8 runs. It was a real messy skirmish at PNC Park between the Dodgers and the Bucs on Tuesday afternoon.

It was a one-run game going into the bottom of the eighth inning, but Don Mattingly sat back and watched Chris Perez implode on the mound. Beckett only lasted 3 2/3 innings after allowing three solo homeruns, but the real culprits of this loss was the horrible relief pitching for the Dodgers. Beckett is pitching injured, but what is the excuse for the awful Dodger relievers? Maholm, Wright, and Perez allowed 8 combined runs.

The Dodgers finally hit a couple of homeruns, their first since Miguel Rojas‘ bomb on July 9th, but their offense couldn’t overcome the terrible pitching.

Dodgers 7 9 0

Pirates 12 12 2

WP- Worley (3-1)

LP- Maholm (1-5)

HR- Walker (15), Davis (6), Polanco (4), Gonzalez (15), Van Slyke (9)

The Dodgers squandered a scoring opportunity in the first after Adrian Gonzalez singled with one out against Vance Worley, and Matt Kemp singled Gonzo over to third. Andre Ethier couldn’t come up with the clutch hit, and he struck out looking to end the inning.

The Bucs got on the board in the bottom of the second off Josh Beckett, who is pitching through a hip injury, with two solo homeruns from Neil Walker and Ike Davis. Pittsburgh took a 2-0 lead.

The Dodgers tied it up in the top of the third thanks to a throwing error by third baseman Pedro Alvarez. Josh Beckett reached

Jul 22, 2014; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates manager Clint Hurdle (13) is ejected by third base umpire Jeff Nelson (45) against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the seventh inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

second base on the bad throw, and the Dodgers went on to cash the run in after Dee Gordon sacrificed Beckett over to third, Justin Turner walked, and Gonzalez’s sacrifice fly brought in the run with Beckett. Ethier doesn’t strike out this time versus Worley, and he came up with a key single to left field to tie it up 2-2.

Beckett’s hip gave up another homerun to the Pirates in the bottom the third. Gregory Polanco went deep to right field for the third round-tripper of the evening for the Bucs. Beckett continued to struggle in the frame, and the Pirates plated a second run on a Travis Snider single and Neil Walker double.

Beckett couldn’t get out of the fourth inning after Alvarez led off with a double, and Mercer’s hard hit fly ball to left field advanced Alvarez. Don Mattingly is forced to go to his bullpen early, and he brought in Paul Maholm to take over for the injured and battered Beckett. Maholm quickly got the third out by inducing a groundout from Polanco.

Josh Beckett pitched 3 2/3 innings and allowed 4 runs on 6 hits with 4 strikeouts and no walks on 69 pitches.

The Dodgers tied it up 4-4 in the top of the sixth thanks to some more bad defense by the Pirates. Carl Crawford singled with one out, and Uribe singled to third on a soft grounder Josh Harrison threw away (he took over third for Alvarez who exited the game with an injured knee). A.J. Ellis came up with the clutch single to center, and two runs came in on the rare bad throw by Andrew McCutchen.

The Pirates laid it on thick in the bottom of the sixth and scored four times off Maholm and Jamey Wright. Maholm was hooked after allowing Russell Martin and Ike Davis back-to-back singles. Then Jamey Wright managed to get two outs before serving up a walk to pinch-hitter Gaby Sanchez, a single by Polanco which brought in two runs, and a RBI single from Snider. The Bucs scored their fourth run after Wright hit McCutchen with a pitch and a wild pitch by Wright allowed Polanco to score. 8-4 Pittsburgh.

Things got heated in the seventh after reliever

plunked Justin Turner in the elbow seemingly in retaliation of McCutchen’s beaning earlier in the game. Wilson is ejected, and manager

is ejected after for arguing with the umps. Adrian Gonzalez broke the homerun drought for the Dodgers, which was 13 long days long, with a two-run shot over the right center field fence! The Dodgers pulled within two of the Pirates, 8-6. Gonzo is on a hot streak, and he has now hit 3 extra-base hits in his last 6 at-bats.

Vance Worley pitched 6 innings and allowed 4 runs (1 earned) on 7 hits with 5 strikeouts and 2 walks on 98 pitches.

Jamey Wright hit Russell Martin in the back with a pitch to lead off the bottom of the seventh, but the umpires didn’t believe there was any intent on the slow curveball. Wright looked off, and Stan Conte briefly went out to the mound to talk to him. The Pirates challenged the out at second on a double play which originally ended the inning. The call is overturned, and Russell Martin is safe at second. Jody Mercer ended up grounding out to short to end the scoreless frame anyways.

Jul 22, 2014; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Adrian Gonzalez (23) receives a high-five from right fielder Matt Kemp (27) after Gonzalez hit a two run home run against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the seventh inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Scott Van Slyke pulled the Dodgers within one run with a beautiful solo homerun to left field with one out in the top of the eighth!

Chris Perez continued to pitch atrociously for the Dodgers in the eighth. He walked four straight to give the Pirates multiple runs. I’m not sure how long the Dodgers are going to keep him around, but I’ve had enough. Mattingly finally sees enough after 25 pitches and only 8 strikes. Brandon League continued the disaster, and Russell Martin singled in yet another run. Davis singled to right, and the fourth run of the inning came in for the Bucs.

Ernesto Frieri shut down the Dodgers 1-2-3 in the ninth, and the Pirates tied up the series with the wild win.

The Dodgers drop to 56-46 on the season. Tomorrow the Dodgers will wrap up the series in Pittsburgh as Dan Haren faces Francisco Liriano.