Connor Joe and Rodolfo Castro hit back-to-back homers in the sixth inning to help lift the Pittsburgh Pirates to a 6-2 win over the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers on Thursday afternoon.
Bryan Reynolds and Jack Suwinski each added an RBI single for the Pirates, who have won nine of their last 10 games.
Pittsburgh starter Mitch Keller (3-0) picked up the win after tying a career high with 10 strikeouts. He allowed two runs on five hits in six innings.
David Peralta hit a two-run single for the Dodgers, who had won three of their previous four.
Los Angeles starter Julio Urias (3-3) allowed six runs on seven hits in 5 2/3 innings with five strikeouts and two walks. He has given up 11 runs in nine innings over his past two starts.
Mookie Betts walked to open the game and advanced to third base on Jason Heyward’s single to right field. Heyward promptly stole second base before Peralta’s base hit to center field drove in both runners.
Pittsburgh responded in the bottom of the first inning. Tucupita Marcano led off with a bunt single and advanced to third base after catcher Austin Barnes threw wildly to first for a two-base throwing error. Reynolds brought Marcano home with a single to right field to cut Los Angeles’ lead in half.
Andrew McCutchen singled to left field to advance Reynolds to second base. After Joe popped out, McCutchen and Reynolds pulled off a double steal, moving to second and third. Reynolds scored on Castro’s sacrifice fly to left field to forge a tie, with McCutchen moving to third. Suwinski’s single to left drove in McCutchen to give the Pirates a 3-2 lead.
In the sixth, McCutchen walked with one out. Joe broke out of a 0-for-14 funk by hitting his third homer of the season to make it 5-2. Castro stretched it to 6-2 when he followed with his third homer, to left-center field.
–Field Level Media
