Joyce Helps Pirates Snap Dodgers' 6-Game Win Streak, 8-6
PITTSBURGH (AP) - Matt Joyce homered and doubled among his three hits as Pittsburgh beat Los Angeles 8-6 on Friday night, ending the Dodgers' six-game winning streak and giving Pirates manager Clint Hurdle his 1,000th career victory.
Joyce drove in two runs while filling in for right fielder Gregory Polanco, who sat out with lower leg discomfort. His RBI single in a two-run fifth inning helped push the Pirates' lead to 7-4 and his eighth homer, a solo shot in the seventh off Chris Hatcher, made it 8-6.
Jung Ho Kang also homered as the Pirates won for just the third time in 16 games. Sean Rodriguez had three RBIs and Starling Marte added two hits.
Dodgers rookie shortstop Corey Seager had four hits to extend his hitting streak to eight games. He is 16 for 34 (.471) during the streak and has six extra-base hits in his last six games.
Yasiel Puig homered for Los Angeles.
Neftali Feliz (2-0), the fourth of six Pirates pitchers, retired all five batters he faced and Mark Melancon pitched a scoreless ninth for his 21st save in 22 opportunities.
Nick Tepesch (0-1) gave up five runs and seven hits in just four innings in his first major league appearance since Sept. 26, 2014 with Texas. Called up from Triple-A Oklahoma City before the game, Tepesch struck out three and walked none.
He was 3-0 with a 2.00 ERA in three starts with Oklahoma City after the Rangers released him from Triple-A Round Rock.
Pirates rookie starter Jameson Taillon had a second consecutive poor start, allowing four runs and eight hits in four-plus innings with two strikeouts and one walk. He has surrendered a combined eight runs and 16 hits in eight innings in his last two starts after giving up just three runs and eight hits in 14 innings over his first two outings.
Puig hit a 439-foot solo home run, his sixth, into the second tier of bleachers in left field in the sixth inning off Jared Hughes to pull the Dodgers to 7-5. Justin Turner's sacrifice fly later in the inning made it a one-run game.
Puig, Turner and Chase Utley had two hits each for the Dodgers, who homered for the 14th straight game to tie Washington for the longest streak in the majors this season.
The teams combined for 25 hits, 13 by the Pirates.
The Pirates opened the scoring with a four-run second as Rodriguez hit a two-run single, John Jaso had an RBI single and Marte doubled in a run.
The Dodgers cut the lead in half in the top of the third when Turner hit an RBI double and scored on a balk by Taillon.
Kang's homer, his 11th, led off the bottom of the third put the Pirates in front 5-2 but the Dodgers cut the deficit to one run in the fifth on an RBI single by Seager and a sacrifice fly by Adrian Gonzalez.
Joyce's RBI single and Rodriguez's sacrifice fly in the bottom of the fifth restored the Pirates' three-run lead at 7-4
TRAINER'S ROOM
Dodgers: LHP Hyun-Jin Ryu (left shoulder surgery) gave up eight runs - five earned - in four innings in a rehab start for Oklahoma City on Thursday night but his fastball reached 90 mph, which manager Dave Roberts said was "encouraging."
Pirates: While Polanco was out of the lineup, Marte (sore left foot) returned after being limited to pinch hitting in the previous two games.
ROSTER MOVES
Dodgers: OF Will Venable was designated for assignment to clear a spot on the 40-man roster for Tepesch.
Pirates: RHP Juan Nicasio was reinstated from the restricted list and moved to the bullpen. He left the team Sunday to attend to a family matter. ... INF/OF Adam Frazier's contract was selected from Triple-A Indianapolis while catcher Jacob Stallings was optioned to the same club and right-hander Jorge Rondon and infielder Cole Figueroa were designated for assignment.
UP NEXT
Dodgers: RHP Kenta Maeda (6-4, 2.64 ERA) will face the Pirates for the first time when he starts Saturday night. He is 3-1 with a 1.52 ERA in his last five starts.
Pirates: LHP Jeff Locke (6-5, 5.44) pitched 6 2/3 scoreless innings to beat NL West-leading San Francisco on Monday after giving up a combined 18 runs in 8 2/3 while losing his previous two starts.
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