Dodgers crush Pirates 11-1, setting up Wednesday rubber match
The Pirates scored a run in the eighth, but it wasn’t nearly enough to alter the result on a night the Dodgers set a season high for runs and hits in a 11-1 win.
Justin Turner had the best night, going four for five with four RBIs. Edwin Ríos had three hits and three RBIs, including a two-run homer. Trea Turner and Gavin Lux had two hits each.
The Dodgers are now 20-8, becoming the fourth team in baseball to reach the 20-win plateau.
Final: Dodgers 11, Pirates 1
Dodgers tie LA franchise doubles record as lead extends
The Dodgers tacked on four more runs in the seventh, and made a little club history in the process.
After a triple by Max Muncy, Justin Turner and Cody Bellinger both doubled. That gave the team eight doubles tonight, tying the most in club history since it relocated from Los Angeles.
In the next at-bat, Edwin Ríos hit the team’s first home run of the night, a towering two-run blast that just got into the right field seats. It was his second home run in as many nights.
Mid 7th: Dodgers lead 11-0
Tony Gonsolin goes five scoreless innings
Tony Gonsolin had to navigate plenty of early traffic, giving up a hit and four walks over the first three innings tonight.
However, the right-hander escaped each jam and eventually settled down, retiring his final seven batters in a scoreless five-inning start.
Gonsolin now has a 1.33 ERA — thanks in large part to opponents hitting just .087 (two for 25) against him with runners in scoring position.
End 5th: Dodgers lead 7-0
Dodgers open up big early lead
After failing to score until the ninth inning in Monday’s loss to the Pirates, the Dodgers have struck early and often tonight.
They scored two runs in the first inning on doubles from Freddie Freeman, Trea Turner and Justin Turner.
They exploded for five runs in the third. Trea Turner singled and Max Muncy walked. Justin Turner drove them both in with a double.
After an Edwin Ríos single chased Pirates starter Bryse Wilson from the game, Gavin Lux and Austin Barnes both doubled against reliever Anthony Banda to plate a couple more runs.
Dodgers starter Tony Gonsolin, meanwhile, escaped a jam in the first inning thanks to an outfield assist from Mookie Betts, who threw out a runner at home on a potential sacrifice fly. He then tossed a scoreless second inning on just 12 pitches.
Mid 3rd: Dodgers lead 7-0
Will Smith out Tuesday with right pectoral issue; Chris Taylor progressing
PITTSBURGH — Will Smith wasn’t in the Dodgers lineup Tuesday because of tightness in his right pectoral, according to manager Dave Roberts.
Tuesday was the second-straight game Smith has missed, though Roberts said the injury is believed to be minor and that Smith will likely be back in the lineup Wednesday.
“It’s not something that’s concerning,” Roberts said. “It’s just early so make sure we kind of nip it.”
In other injury news, outfielder Chris Taylor said he was feeling much better Tuesday after leaving Monday’s game with a left knee bone bruise resulting from a foul ball.
Even before the injury, Taylor was scheduled to have Tuesday off. But he did take batting practice pregame.
ICYMI: Dodgers fall to Pirates on Monday
PITTSBURGH — Last week, Dave Roberts didn’t give Julio Urías the chance to pitch in the seventh.
Facing a similar situation on Monday night, the Dodgers manager made a different decision.
With his team trailing the Pittsburgh Pirates by one in the bottom of the seventh, Roberts sent Urías out to the mound to face No. 9 hitter Michael Perez.
One misplaced fastball later, it immediately backfired, with Perez hitting a solo home run that helped the Pirates pull away in a 5-1 defeat of the Dodgers at PNC Park.
There were plenty of causes for the Dodgers’ loss Monday, which ended the team’s six-game winning streak.
Their bullpen gave up three runs in two innings. Their lineup suffered one of its quietest nights all year, matching its season-low run total on just four hits. And they were robbed of a couple potential extra-base hits by diving catches from Pirates outfielders.