After six lead changes and three separate tie games, Pedro Alvarez knocked in the game-winning run with the bases loaded in the bottom of the 10th and the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 5-4 in walk-off fashion on Friday.
After loading the bases with no outs multiple times throughout the game, the Pirates put ducks on the pond again in the bottom of the 10th inning off of Jim Johnson (2-4). Dodgers manager Don Mattingly opted for the lefty-on-lefty matchup of J.P. Howell versus Alvarez, but the Pirates first baseman who came to the plate as a pinch hitter made them pay.
Clayton Kershaw's scoreless inning streak ended at 37 on the first pitch of the game as Gregory Polanco homered to center off a 93 mph fastball.
"It was the first pitch of the game, I dared him to hit it and he did," Kershaw said of the first pitch homer to Polanco. "I got two strikes on everybody, but couldn't get anybody out."
Kershaw struggled for the first time in his last nine starts as the reigning NL MVP allowed four runs on nine hits over six innings in a no decision.
"He wasn't quite as sharp as normal, but he was still pretty good," Mattingly said of Kershaw. "You have to give some credit to the other team over there, they came to play."
His counterpart, All-Star Gerrit Cole, also seemed to be lacking sharpness on the night. Cole allowed three runs on four hits in six innings.
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Jimmy Rollins did it all for the Dodgers on Friday as the veteran shortstop went 3-for-4 with two RBIs and a run scored at the plate, but wielded multiple web gems with the leather.
"This time of year playing against these teams, it's more of a character test for us, to see what we're made of," Rollins said about the matchup with the Phillies. "It all comes down to who can control their emotions enough."
Rollins middle infield partner Howie Kendrick also knocked in two runs as the dynamic duo scored all four Dodgers' runs on the day.
Andrew McCutchen went 2-for-3 for the Pirates with an RBI and two runs scored.
The Dodgers were sweating bullets in the bottom of the eighth inning when relief pitcher Luis Avilan loaded the bases with no outs. However, with the infield in, Avilan got Chris Stewart and Neil Walker to ground out before Polanco grounded out to first to end the inning.
Game Notes:
Pittsburgh won for the 13th time in their last 16 home games.
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