The Pittsburgh Pirates resume their chase in the National League wild-card race when they clash with the Los Angeles Dodgers in the second game of their three-game series Saturday at Dodger Stadium.
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Handed a three-run lead before he threw a pitch, Nova (2-0) has won both starts for the Pirates since they obtained him from NY at the August 1 trade deadline.
“Pitching in National League ballparks are bigger than the American League, especially in the east, and the defense behind me has allowed me to be more aggressive in the strike zone”, said Nova, who has won both of his starts since the Pirates acquired him from the New York Yankees on August 1.
“We don’t have a date for when Rich will pitch for us”, Dave Roberts said via the LA Times. “Those guys over there can really defend”. “Defensively, they can track it down”.
Cole has yet to lose to Los Angeles, going 3-0 with a 4.32 ERA in four career starts.McCarthy has failed to work more than four innings in any of his last three starts, including a no-decision against Boston on Sunday in which he gave up only two runs but issued five walks over 3 2/3 frames.
“I think that our bullpen is in as good a standing as it has been all year now that we have Joe [Blanton] back from the bereavement list”, Roberts said. “The quality of contact – Ross threw the ball well all night long”.
The Pittsburgh Pirates look for another win after winning five of their last seven games.
Stripling joined Scott Kazmir (July 19) and Kenta Maeda (July 10) as the only Dodgers starters to complete seven innings in the past 43 games. Stripling (3-4) surrendered a career-tying five runs – three in the first inning – and six hits with four strikeouts and no walks in seven innings.
Los Angeles Dodgers’ Joc Pederson reacts after being call safe by home plate umpire Marvin Hudson while scoring on a single by Howie Kendrick during the second inning of a baseball game, Friday, Aug. 12, 2016, in Los Angeles. The Dodgers used only two pitchers on the night: Stripling and reliever Jesse Chavez. “There were too many hits and it’s unbelievable they only had one run”.
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“Just on a personal level, I do [think about trying to get deep in a game]”, Stripling said. I was able to have a good spring and make the team, which was awesome. Offensively, Corey Seager leads Los Angeles with 137 hits, Adrian Gonzalez has 55 RBI and Justin Turner has 21 home runs. His ERA at home is 4.41, while on the road it is 3.04. Kendrick finished with three hits. The inning produced four singles, two of the infield variety, and a potential double play ball that instead became a force out and another run, the third of the inning. In his last seven games at Dodger Stadium, the slugger is 8 for 16 with four doubles and two home runs.
