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 Andrew McCutchen and Josh Harrison homered, and Pedro Alvarez
drove in three runs, sparking the Pirates to a 5-3 victory over the
Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday.
The Pirates (26-30) took three of four from the Dodgers (30-28),
capturing a series in Los Angeles for the first time since Sept.
19-21, 2006.
"We've been out here a lot and not done a whole lot," Hurdle said of
his club, which snapped a nine-game losing streak at Chavez Ravine
on Thursday in the series opener. "This is one of those things (we)
can knock off our to-do list."
Pittsburgh also beat Dodgers starter Zack Greinke again. Greinke
(8-2) gave up four runs on five hits with seven strikeouts and two
walks in six innings. He threw 102 pitches (61 strikes). It was the
first time the right-hander allowed more than three runs since July
25, 2013, when he was charged with four in a loss to the Cincinnati
Reds.
The Pirates laid five runs on Greinke in five innings in a 6-3
Pittsburgh win on June 16, 2013, when the two clubs met at PNC Park.
On Sunday, the Pirates used a determined and successful approach
against the former Cy Young Award winner.
"We were looking for fastballs early," Hurdle said. "His location
played into it, but to beat him, he's an ultra-competitor. You've
got to outcompete him. We laid off some tight pitches, we worked
some counts, we got the pitch count up, we hit the balls we were
able to handle, we put the barrel on them and we did something with
them. That was the game plan going in. We just tried to be as
aggressive as he was."
Pittsburgh starter Edinson Volquez (3-4) allowed two runs on five
hits with six strikeouts and a walk in five innings. He pitched for
the Dodgers briefly late last season.
"(Volquez) did what he had to do," Hurdle said. "Used the fastball,
he got it inside, the curveball played big for him tonight. The
changeup. He pitched very well."
Pirates relievers Justin Wilson, Tony Watson and Mark Melancon each
pitched a scoreless inning. Closer Jason Grilli gave up a run in the
ninth before earning his eighth save.
Dodgers right fielder Yasiel Puig's first-inning double extended his
streak of consecutive games reaching base to 33.
Pittsburgh grabbed a 2-0 lead in the first when third baseman
Alvarez lined a two-run single to left, scoring McCutchen and first
baseman Ike Davis with two outs.
Dodgers center fielder Matt Kemp doubled to right with one out in
the second and scored on third baseman Justin Turner's base hit to
center to cut the Pirates' lead to 2-1.
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McCutchen, who went 3-for-4 and also had two doubles, drove the
first pitch he saw from Greinke in the third into the seats in
center to push the lead back to two runs. It was the center
fielder's fifth homer of the season, his first ever off Greinke.
"I think the key was McCutchen pretty much got three runs on his
own," Greinke said. "A couple of good at-bats mixed in there, but it
was mainly him putting them in a position where it was tough to
stop.
"The first pitch I threw to him, the double off the wall, that was a
really bad pitch, but besides that, I know he's dangerous, but I
made pretty quality pitches. He was tough today."
Turner took Volquez deep in the fourth, hitting a solo home run to
left to pull the Dodgers within 3-2.
Harrison homered off reliever Chris Perez in the seventh inning.
"When I hit it, I knew I got it," said Pittsburgh's right fielder,
who hit safely in a fifth consecutive game. "I was feeling good. I
had some good swings today. I was just trying to put a good swing
around anything in the zone."
NOTES: Pittsburgh traded RHP Bryan Morris to the Miami Marlins on
Sunday in exchange for the 39th overall selection in this week's
amateur draft. Pirates RHP Casey Sadler was recalled from Triple-A
Indianapolis to fill Morris' roster spot. ... Los Angeles starters
allowed three or fewer runs in their previous 11 starts, compiling a
6-3 mark with a 2.66 ERA in that span. ... The Pirates visit the San
Diego Padres for a three-game set beginning Monday. ... Los Angeles
hosts the Chicago White Sox for a three-game series beginning
Monday. ... The game drew a crowd of 51,020.
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