Dodgers’ late collapse leads to surprising win for Pirates

Pirates Stun Dodgers with a Comeback Victory

PITTSBURGH — It started with a strong home run by Shohei Ohtani. But then, the Pirates pulled off an impressive win.

On Wednesday night, the Dodgers found themselves ahead by five runs as they entered the bottom of the seventh inning. Ohtani was on the mound, seemingly pushing the team toward clinching the series at PNC Park. However, by the end of the eighth inning, the tide had turned, with the Pirates emerging victorious at 9-8.

The unraveling began with Ohtani, who, this season, experienced the rare event of not finishing a complete inning as a starting pitcher. He recorded six powerful outs but faced challenges, including a walk in the seventh and a failure to execute a bunt. He left two runners on base without any outs in the first inning.

Despite that, he almost managed to escape the inning, striking out two batters while leading 6-1. But then, with a 3-0 count against Brandon Lowe, Ohtani threw a fastball that turned into a two-run double down the line, marking the end of his night.

At this point, Ohtani’s ERA climbed over 1.00 for the first time this season. Still, his 1.06 rating remains among the best for pitchers with 60 innings in the majors. However, the Dodger’s bullpen couldn’t keep it together, suffering another late-inning collapse.

Lowe scored against Alex Bashear, taking advantage of a ground ball that went over third baseman Max Muncy. Then, in the eighth inning, Kyle Hart struggled significantly, walking the first two batters and allowing the Pirates’ Tyler Callihan to score three initial runs. This was Callihan’s second home run of the evening, following his first major league hit off Ohtani earlier in the game. Spencer Horwitz later added to the rally with a two-run homer off Jack Dryer, contributing to a five-run inning.

Who Stood Out?

While it may not have been Ohtani’s best performance, he still shone as the Dodgers’ standout player. It was technically a quality start despite giving up three earned runs over 6 2/3 innings, with the fourth run marked as an error.

Then, in the ninth inning, Ohtani hit a two-run homer, narrowing the gap for the Dodgers to just a single run. But, unfortunately for them, it wasn’t enough. This outcome sets up a rubber match in their three-game series, with the Pirates stealing a chance at victory.

The Dodgers’ Concerns

Despite a commendable record of 19-7 in their last 26 games, the Dodgers have faced several bullpen issues lately. Losses against the Phillies and Diamondbacks were notable, and the recent game against the Angels was particularly troubling. Since Wednesday’s game, worries about the relief staff have grown. Just last month, one of their relievers had an impressive streak of 38 consecutive scoreless innings.