Pirates Bullpen Struggles in Loss to Dodgers
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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates battled well early on, but the bullpen struggled in the later innings, as they lost 8-4 to the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodgers stadium.
The loss for the Pirates is the second in the past three games, along with the defeat to the Los Angeles Angels on April 24. The Pirates fall to 11-7 overall and 5-10 on the road in 2025.
Center fielder Oneil Cruz opened up the game for the Pirates with a leadoff home run off the first pitch he saw from Dodgers right-handed pitcher Roki Sasaki.
This marked Cruz's eighth home run of the season and fourth leadoff home run, which leads the MLB.
ONEIL CRUZ WITH ANOTHER LEADOFF HOME RUN pic.twitter.com/m70eKQgGla
— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) April 27, 2025
Pirates right-handed pitcher Mitch Keller began his start with a leadoff double from reigning National League MVP Shohei Ohtani.
Keller then got a flyout from Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts, which moved Ohtani to third base, and then he struckout first baseman Freddie Freeman.
He missed a chance to get out of the inning, as he allowed a Dodgers right fielder Teoscar Hernández, scoring Ohtani and tying it up at 1-1.
Keller got the ground ball he needed from second basesman Tommy Edman, but Pirates second baseman Adam Frazier through it wide of first baseman Enmanuel Valdez for an error. scoring Teoscar Hernández and giving Los Angeles a 2-1 lead.
The Pirates started the second inning with catcher Joey Bart walking and third baseman Ke'Bryan Hayes singling.
Frazier grounded into a fielder's choice, with Hayes out at second base, but runners on the corners with one out. Left fielder Tommy Pham then grounded into a double play, ending that scoring chance.
The Dodgers had their own scoring opportunity in the bottom of the second inning, as third baseman Max Muncy walked and center fielder Angel Pages doubled, moving Muncy to third base with one out.
Keller then struckout Ohtani and got Betts to ground out, ending the inning unscathed.
The Pirates got back-to-back hits to start the fifth inning, as Frazier singled and then Pham doubled, moving Frazier to third base.
Shortstop Isiah Kiner-Falefa struckout, but Cruz came through with a single, scoring both Frazier and Pham and giving the Pirates a 3-2 lead.
Ohtani responded in the bottom of the fifth inning by hitting a triple off of Keller with one out. Keller struckout Betts, but allowed a single to Freeman, scoring Ohtani and allowing the Dodgers to tie it at 3-3.
Keller would finish his day going 6.0 innings, allowing five hits, three runs, two earned runs and a walk, while posting six strikeouts.
The Pirates began the seventh inning with back-to-back singles from Pham and Kiner-Falefa and Cruz walked, loading the bases.
Right fielder Bryan Reynolds hit a grounder, with Cruz out at second, but he managed to make it first base safely, putting runners at the corners with one out and scoring Pham, giving the Pirates a 4-3 lead.
Pittsburgh failed to add on, as designated hitter Andrew McCutchen struckout and then Valdez grounded out to Freeman at first base.
Left-handed pitcher Caleb Ferguson came in relief for the Pirates in the bottom of the seventh inning. He allowed a single to Pages and then a double to Ohtani, scoring Pages, which tied it up for the Dodgers at 4-4.
Ferguson would walk Betts afterwards, but got Freeman to ground out into a double play, ending the inning.
Hayes would hit a double with one out in the top of the eighth inning, giving the Pirates a chance to retake the lead.
Frazier would ground out, but move Hayes to third base, and Pham walked. Kiner-Falefa didn't come through, as he struckout, ending that opportunity.
Right-handed pitcher Colin Holderman made his first appearance for the Pirates since April 5 and after he went on the 15-day Injured List and went through a rehab assignment.
He then gave up a solo home run to Teoscar Hernández on the first pitch, as he left a breaking ball over the plate, giving the Dodgers a 5-4 lead.
GO AHEAD, TEOSCAR! pic.twitter.com/kXQgXBiUY3
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) April 27, 2025
Holderman would allow a double to Edman and then walked catcher Will Smith, before Pirates manager Derek Shelton took him out for left-handed pitcher Joey Wentz.
Wentz then allowed a three-run home to pinch-hitter Enrique Hernández, which put the Dodgers up 8-4.
No. 8 makes it 8! pic.twitter.com/t7G4uSaJZX
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) April 27, 2025
He got two outs, but also allowed two walks and a single, which loaded the bases. Shelton brought in right-handed pitcher Chase Shugart, who got Teoscar Hernández to line out to Reynolds in right field.
The Pirates will try to win the series in the finale vs. the Dodgers on April 27. First pitch is set for 4:10 p.m.
Dominic writes for Pittsburgh Pirates On SI, Pittsburgh Panthers Pn SI and also, Pittsburgh Steelers On SI. A Pittsburgh native, Dominic grew up watching Pittsburgh Sports and wrote for The Pitt News as an undergraduate at the University of Pittsburgh, covering Pitt Athletics. He would write for Pittsburgh Sports Now after college and has years of experience covering sports across Pittsburgh.