The Pirates loaded the bases with no outs against Avilan but he got three weak ground balls – two force outs at home and an inning-ending play at first base – to escape unscathed.
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“I was really sporadic at times”, Cole said. He owns a strong track record versus the Pirates with a 5-1 mark and 3.13 ERA in 12 career starts.Liriano was scratched from his first start after the All-Star break due to a stiff neck and had his last outing curtailed when rain postponed the game after two innings. The home run was Polanco’s sixth of the season, and just the 11th of the season allowed by Kershaw.
The Dodgers and Pirates are both World Series contenders in the NL and this could be a playoff matchup this year the way the teams are playing. Howie Kendrick had two hits, including a two-run infield single on which Rollins sprinted home from second base. The four runs matched Kershaw’s total allowed in his previous six starts combined, and were his most allowed in any one start since June 17 against Texas. Dodgers shortstop Jimmy Rollins collected three hits and drove in a pair of runs Friday to boost his career batting average to. Stewart took two strike calls that he didn’t like, but the last call was one Kershaw didn’t like, a ball that sent McCutchen home. Rollins put the Dodgers ahead 3-2 in the fifth with a one-out RBI single. The major-league record is 59 innings, set by Orel Hershiser in 1988 with the Dodgers.
Polanco homered to lead off the bottom of the first for the second straight game, having connected off the Cubs’ Dan Haren on Wednesday night.
After a disastrous Pirates debut on Tuesday, Happ, who was acquired from the Seattle Mariners for Triple-A right-hander Adrian Sampson at the trade deadline, will be skipped in the starting rotation by Pirates manager Clint Hurdle according to multiple media reports. Joc Pederson scored from third and Rollins scored right behind him, giving the Dodgers a 2-1 lead.
The Pirates went ahead 4-3 with a two-run fifth inning. Kershaw hit Marte in the back with a pitch, and McCutchen doubled him in.
The Pirates pulled into a 2-2 tie in the fourth when Chris Stewart drew a bases-loaded walk from Kershaw with two outs after the Dodgers had gone ahead on Kendrick’s single in the third. RHP Deolis Guerra was returned to the Pirates as a waiver claim by Cleveland was voided by Major League Baseball because he was found to have left knee inflammation.
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The Dodgers and Pirates opened up a three-game series on Friday.
