“The key to this game was our defense”, said Nova, recently acquired from the Yankees.
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While many have looked at St. Louis as Miami’s chief competitor, Pittsburgh is the team that has suddenly closed to within a game of the final playoff berth. “There were too many hits and it’s wonderful they only had one run”.
“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. This will be Anderson’s season debut, as he’s been out with a back injury all year. “We couldn’t get them in”, manager Clint Hurdle said.
After pulling even with San Francisco for first place in the NL West this week, the Los Angeles Dodgers have hit a bump in the road and are chasing the Giants again.
Chad Kuhl (2-0, 3.91 ERA) will get the nod for the Pirates. Felipe Rivero, Neftali Feliz, Juan Nicasio and Tony Watson followed and shut down the Dodgers. For Watson, it was his fifth save of the season. The Pirates are now 40-21 when they score first in a game.
“To put our bullpen in that situation after McCarthy yesterday, to try and have them go nine innings, it’s embarrassing on my part”, Anderson said. “It gives us confidence and we’re winning games”.
After going 2-0 with a 1.61 ERA over his first four starts, with 26 strikeouts and seven walks over 22 1/3 innings, McCarthy gave up 10 runs in 10 1/3 innings in his last three starts, issuing 17 walks. We’ll see what happens there. “They definitely punished me for them”. Anderson returned after having back surgery in March and left following one inning with a mild left wrist sprain. “I don’t think we were trying to do anything except fight, scratch, claw our way back into the game”.
Los Angeles outfielder Josh Reddick robbed Josh Harrison of a home run when he reached over the low right-field wall to make a grab. In Friday night’s game he saw 14 pitches in 4 plate appearances.
Pittsburgh jumped on Stripling for four hits and three runs in the first.
Two batters later, David Freese added another single bringing home Marte. Rodriguez had three hits, a walk and four RBIs.
Nobody wanted to be left out Saturday, as the first seven hitters in the Los Angeles Dodgers’ lineup had multihit games, with Joc Pederson leading the way with a home run, double and single.
“I love Dodger Stadium and LA”.
“There’s nothing like being able to do that, drive the ball to the opposite side and to be able to do it with some authority is always good”, McCutchen said.
Mercer led off the seventh with his seventh homer of the season, upping Pittsburgh’s lead to 5-1. The 23-year-old rookie made his Major League Baseball debut (5IP/3ER) against the Dodgers on June 26, outdueling Clayton Kershaw in Pittsburgh’s 4-3 victory. His return date remains unknown, however. RHP Joe Blanton was reinstated from the bereavement list, and the Dodgers optioned LHP Luis Avilan to Triple-A Oklahoma City.
The Dodgers were counting on Anderson, who was pitching for the first time since October after spending the past four months rehabbing. That was Anderson’s line for the day because he did not come out for the second inning.
“It’s a combo. It’s both”, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said.
Pirates: RHP Gerrit Cole (7-7) pitches Saturday.
McCarthy was forced from his start after 1 2/3 innings on Saturday with right hip stiffness. He is 3-0 against the Dodgers in four career starts.
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Dodgers: RHP Brandon McCarthy (2-2) felt healthy during workouts this week and is expected to pitch Saturday.
