The Pittsburgh Pirates looked to finally bust out of their slump against the Dodgers.
Game One: Jameson Taillon (1-1, 3.50ERA) vs. Nick Tepesch (0-0, 0.00ERA)
Result: Pirates win 8-6
Winning Pitcher: Neftali Feliz (2-0, 3.21ERA)
Losing Pitcher: Nick Tepesch (0-1, 11.25ERA)
Save: Mark Melancon (21, 1.53ERA)
- What went right:
- Matt Joyce had himself a monster night as he went 3-4 with a home run, two RBIs, and two runs scored.
- Sean Rodriguez was fantastic as he went 1-2, with three RBIs and a run scored, coupled with his usually stellar defense.
- Pirates has a team went 4-11 with runners in scoring position and as a result, they scored eight runs.
- What went wrong:
- Cory Seager was a beast for the Dodgers as he went 4-5 with one RBI and a run scored.
- Yasiel Puig absolutely murdered a baseball for a nearly 440 foot home run.
- Jared Hughes did not pitch particularly well. He allowed two runs in 1.1 innings of work.
When you’re a struggling team, you will take a win any way you can get it. The Pirates did not play a great game, yet they won and that’s the most important thing. Jeff Locke looked to play the role of giant-killer again in game two.
Game Two: Jeff Locke (6-5, 5.44ERA) vs. Kenta Maeda (6-4, 2.64ERA)
Result: Pirates win 6-1
Winning Pitcher: Jeff Locke (7-5, 5.12ERA)
Losing Pitcher: Kenta Maeda (6-5, 2.91ERA)
- What went right:
- Andrew McCutchen had himself a ball game as he went 2-4 with two home runs, four RBIs, and two runs scored.
- Jeff Locke pitched unbelievably well. He went seven innings, allowed one run on five hits, struck out three, and furthermore, he didn’t walk a batter.
- Jordy Mercer went 1-3 with two RBIs and a run scored.
- What went wrong:
- Yasiel Puig had a multi hit game as he went 2-4.
- A.J. Ellis collected one RBI due to going 2-3 with a single.
- Sean Rodriguez had a miscue in the field when he committed an error.
The Pirates played a very solid game and came away with a fairly easy victory. Jeff Locke had a fantastic start and the bullpen completely shut the Dodgers down. The Pirates looked to come away with a series win when a rookie took on the best pitcher on the planet.
Game Three: Clayton Kershaw (11-1, 1.57ERA) vs. Chad Kuhl (0-0, 0.00ERA)
Result: Pirates win 4-3
Winning Pitcher: Chad Kuhl (1-0, 5.40ERA)
Losing Pitcher: Clayton Kershaw (11-2, 1.79ERA)
Save: Mark Melancon (22, 1.48ERA)
- What went right:
- David Freese hit a huge bases-loaded double as the Pirates jumped ahead early 4-0.
- Adam Frazier played very well in relief when Jordy Mercer had to leave the game with an injury. He went 2-3 with one RBI and a run scored coupled with some excellent outfield defense.
- Chad Kuhl had a pretty solid debut, although he wasn’t great, he battled and went five innings, allowed three runs on four hits and struck out five.
- What went wrong:
- Justin Turner was huge for the Dodgers. Despite the loss, he went 2-3 with a home run, three RBIs and a run scored.
- Corey Seager went 1-3 with a walk, and two runs scored.
- Casey Fien did an excellent job in relief for the Dodgers as he pitched two scoreless innings, struck out two, and consequently, the Dodgers were able to get back into the game.
Chad Kuhl will never forget his Major League debut. He beat Clayton Kershaw in addition to getting a win. Not bad for a rookie making his first career start. The Pirates looked to complete the sweep in game four.
Game Four: Francisco Liriano (4-7, 5.17ERA) vs. Scott Kazmir (5-3, 4.52ERA)
Result: Pirates lose 5-4
Winning Pitcher: Scott Kazmir (6-3, 4.67ERA)
Losing Pitcher: Francisco Liriano (4-8, 5.33ERA)
Save: Kenley Jansen (22, 1.42ERA)
- What went right:
- Pirates scored four runs in the first inning coupled with collecting three of their seven hits.
- Andrew McCutchen went 2-4 in addition to scoring a run,
- Jared Hughes and Juan Nicasio pitched very well in relief and as a result, they combined to go 3.2 innings and allowed zero runs on three hits.
- What went wrong:
- Francisco Liriano wasted a four-run first inning due to spotty control. He went 4.1 innings, allowed five runs (four earned) on four hits and walked five.
- Yasiel Puig went 1-4 with two RBIs and a run scored.
- The Pirates didn’t score after the first inning in spite of many opportunities and as a result, the Dodgers won the game.
FINAL THOUGHTS
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