The Los Angeles Dodgers were looking to hold onto a 5-3 lead in the bottom of the seventh inning, but instead left down seven runs to the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Reliever Jim Johnson [2-5] allowed eight runs on six hits in two-thirds of an inning. He would call it one of his worst outings in his professional career after the game. The Pirates won the game 12-6 and earned their first sweep of the Dodgers in Pittsburgh since 1999.
“Wow,” manager Clint Hurdle said. “It’s a testament that these guys continue to play the game and not get distracted.”
Starling Marte also was impressed with his teammates efforts in the come from behind win.
“It was a lot of fun because everybody put something into the game,” said Marte. “Every at-bat and every pitch had focus and concentration.”
In the win, the Pirates set a new season high for runs in a game [13] and hits in an inning [7].
With one out in the seventh, Jung Ho Kang was hit by a pitch, the second time he had been hit in the game. Pinch-hitter Pedro Alvarez singled Kang to third and advanced to second base on a Yasiel Puig error. Francisco Cervelli singled and brought the first run home. Neil Walker then hit a sacrifice fly to tie the game. Sean Rodriguez contributed a single and Gregory Polanco followed with a walk. Marte singled putting the Pirates in the lead for the first time.
Andrew McCutchen, hitting over .400 with runners in scoring position, hit a single that brought home two runs and an underhanded fist pump from third base coach Rick Sofield. Aramis Ramirez then added a single of his own, making the score 9-5, and knocking Johnson out of the game. Kang then got back into the act with an opposite-field three-run home run, his ninth of the season.
The biggest sequence however may have come in the fifth inning with the Dodgers in front 5-1. Marte was on first base and McCutchen was at the plate with a 3-2 count. Alex Wood had already made two pickoff throws and with Marte taking a big lead threw to first three more times. The potential lack of focus had him throw a pitch high and outside which McCutchen hit into the bullpen area, his 17th homer of the season.
“I think the pitcher went over too many times but I took a big lead,” said Marte. “I was very impressed because he didn’t throw that ball in a good position for a strike. It was a high pitch and he got a home run.”
“If anything it was annoying,” McCutchen said of the pickoff throws. “It was 5-1 and I don’t think he was going anywhere, him getting to second base didn’t mean anything. I just wanted him to pitch the ball and he finally was able to do that and I hit one.”
The Dodgers opened the game scoring two first-inning runs on an Adrian Gonzalez single and a Yasmani Grandal ground out. Gonzalez then hit another RBI single in the third inning off Pirates starter Charlie Morton.
Cervelli got the Pirates on the board for the first time with a fourth-inning sacrifice fly, plating Ramirez.
The Dodgers then added another two runs in the fifth inning, as Grandal singled and Alberto Callaspo doubled. The fifth inning was Morton’s last and he tied a season high, allowing 10 hits and all five runs were earned.
The Pirates had a chance to score in the sixth. Cervelli was called out on strikes with a pitch that appeared to be ball four. Walker then appeared to hit a potential home run that hit off the yellow line at the center field wall. He stopped at third and, after a crew chief replay, the call stood. The Pirates ended up stranding the bases loaded that inning as McCutchen hit a first-pitch ground out to end the threat.
Following the nine-run seventh inning, the Dodgers recorded a run in the eighth with Kike Hernandez hitting his fifth home run of the season. It was his second consecutive game with a home run.
Cervelli ensured the Pirates would get the run back in the bottom of the inning with his sixth home run of the season, hit off Joel Peralta.
Arquimedes Caminero [2-1] got the win, pitching two innings. Additionally, his ERA dipped below 4.00 for the first time since July 21 and at 3.88, is at its lowest total since July 11.
This series proved to be one which belonged to the relief pitcher as Antonio Bastardo won Friday, Joe Blanton pitched three innings Saturday after Francisco Liriano left the game prior to the top of the fourth inning and Caminero pitched two innings Sunday.
“That’s what we do, we pick everybody up,” Caminero said. “When a starter doesn’t go out for a long time that’s what we’re there for. It’s just like the position players when they get out of the game the bench guys pick them up.”
Though Joakim Soria did not remember the previous hitting barrage which happened when he was with the Detroit Tigers, one in which the Pirates had 21 hits in a single game and seven in a single inning, Sunday’s performance did not surprise him.
“It’s just the chemistry and confidence we have in each other,” Soria said. “We all know that the guy behind me has our back and I think that’s what makes our team special.”
The Pirates have an off day Monday before a three-game road series against the St. Louis Cardinals. Jeff Locke [6-6 4.31 ERA] will face Carlos Martinez [11-4 2.57 ERA] on Tuesday. Locke is 2-3 with a 3.55 ERA in seven career starts against the Cardinals.
“We’re looking to just win the game,” Marte said. “It’s a big series against the Cardinals and we have to fight, fight against these guys every game.”
Photo credit: Jared Wickerham/Getty Images
