Field Level Media
Aug 17, 2021
Max Muncy belted a tiebreaking homer in the eighth inning as the Los Angeles Dodgers recorded a 2-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Monday night.
Muncy's 26th blast of the season gave the Dodgers their 14th consecutive victory over the Pirates.
Billy McKinney also homered for Los Angeles, which won for the 11th time in its past 14 games overall.
Pittsburgh has dropped three straight and 13 of its past 15 games.
Right-hander Blake Treinen (3-5), the fifth of six Los Angeles pitchers, retired all four batters he faced and earned the win. He recorded two strikeouts.
Right-hander Kenley Jansen worked the ninth for his 24th save.
Pinch hitter Yoshi Tsutsugo sliced a one-out double into the left field corner in the ninth after signing with the Pirates earlier Monday. He was recently released by the Dodgers. Jansen then retired Hoy Park and Ke'Bryan Hayes on grounders to close out the game.
The left-handed-hitting Muncy's one-out homer came off a 1-1 fastball from Pirates left-hander Chasen Shreve (1-1). The blast sailed 383 feet.
The Pirates took advantage of first baseman Cody Bellinger's error to break up the scoreless duel in the seventh inning.
Gregory Polanco was hit by Brusdar Graterol's pitch leading off the inning, and Rodolfo Castro reached on an infield single after an 11-pitch at-bat.
Wilmer Difo then laid down a sacrifice bunt. Bellinger fielded the ball, and his throw got past Muncy, who was covering first, and went into foul territory in right as Polanco scored from second.
The Pirates' lead didn't last long as McKinney, the second batter against southpaw Anthony Banda, lofted a homer to right. The blast off a 1-1 fastball traveled 399 feet and was McKinney's first since joining the Dodgers and his ninth of the season.
Pirates left-hander Steven Brault allowed three hits and one walk in 5 2/3 scoreless innings. He struck out four.
Los Angeles loaded the bases in the sixth, but Pirates right-hander Nick Mears retired AJ Pollock on a grounder to end the frame.
Los Angeles went with a bullpen game, and right-hander Andre Jackson, the team's second pitcher, excelled with four shutout innings in his major league debut. Jackson entered at the start of the second inning and struck out five while allowing two hits and four walks.
--Field Level Media