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Kyle Hurt wastes Ryan Ward’s grand slam as Dodgers blow 5-run lead – Dodgers Digest

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Kyle Hurt wastes Ryan Ward’s grand slam as Dodgers blow 5-run lead – Dodgers Digest

The Dodgers followed yesterday’s blowout win from a huge rally by using another big inning to take a five-run lead in the middle of the game. Unfortunately, it was within range forthe Pirates, as they rallied against Shohei Ohtani late and then completed the comeback against Kyle Hurt in a brutal 9-8 loss.

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Pirates starter Jared Jones was a beneficiary of his defense at times as he continues to work his way back into the rotation after injury.

After he cruised through a scoreless 1st, he gave up an “error” on what was more like a bloop single for Mookie Betts to start the 2nd, but a double play made sure he faced the minimum in the inning. After a two-out walk in the 3rd, Shohei Ohtani stepped up and drilled a pitch the other way, but it was robbed on a stellar leaping catch at the wall by Bryan Reynolds to keep things scoreless.

Thankfully that didn’t last into the 4th, as a one-out Freddie Freeman double was later capitalized on by a two-out Max Muncy double to start the scoring, and then a Kyle Tucker single that seemed to knuckle on the defender to make it 2-0 Dodgers.

After Jones got the last out of the 4th, that was it for him in the game.

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On the other end was Shohei Ohtani looking to continue his excellent season and stay in the Cy Young Award race.

While he continued to be erratic, he also continued to wiggle out of trouble, as he worked around a single and walk to start the 1st, stranded a one-out walk in the 2nd, and did the same to a two-out hit batter in the 3rd.

However, after getting the first two outs of the 4th, he then gave up an absolute bomb to Tyler Callihan for his first career homer to make it 2-1 Dodgers. What a milestone for him.

Ohtani then resumed working around trouble, as a double followed but he stranded that as well.

He got more breathing room soon after.

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Former starter and now disgruntled swingman Carmen Mlodzinski entered in the 5th for the Pirates and started by setting down the side in order. That did not repeat in the 6th.

Andy Pages started a rally with a lead-off single, then Freddie Freeman followed with a walk. With one down, Pages almost got picked off second but the call was overturned on review.

That proved significant, as Max Muncy drew a walk to load the bases, but Kyle Tucker followed by striking out. That would’ve got them out of the inning, but instead it was Ryan Ward stepping up and crushing a grand slam on the first pitch to right to make it 6-1 Dodgers just like that.

He then got out of the 6th, and worked around a two-out walk in the 7th, being removed after giving up a two-out double in the 8th. Evan Sisk entered and got the final out of the inning to keep the Dodgers at six runs.

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Meanwhile, Ohtani got his first 1-2-3 frame in the 5th, but after a lead-off single in the 6th, they came out to check on Shohei as he looked to be bothered by the blister on his middle finger that’s been giving him trouble for a while.

No matter, Ohtani bounced back by getting a near double play that was overturned on review, and then got an actual double play to face the minimum in the frame.

That helped his pitch count, and he continued in the 7th, but also continued to get into trouble. After issuing a lead-off walk and then giving up an infield single on a dribbler, he came back to strikeout back-to-back hitters. It looked like he might escape again, but he fell behind Brandon Lowe 3-0 after a couple of near-strikes that weren’t challenged and grooved a fastball, giving up a double down the line in right to plate two and make it 6-3 Dodgers.

That was it for Ohtani, who saw his ERA climb over 1 as he looked to get length: 6.2 IP, 6 H, 4 R (3 ER), 3 BB, 6 K, 102 Pitches.

There was a four there on his line instead of a three because Alex Vesia came in and got a grounder, but Muncy made an error to plate another run and cut the lead to 6-4 Dodgers before he was able to end the inning.

Kyle Hurt then entered in the 8th and led the pen collapse. Back-to-back walks started the inning, then Callihan hit another homer to turn the game and make it 7-6 Pirates.

A single followed, and he uncorked a wild pitch, but only got a reprieve when they tried to steal third for whatever reason. A double immediately followed after that, and Hurt’s disaster outing ended.

The disaster itself didn’t end, however, as Jack Dreyer entered and gave up a no-doubter to Spencer Horwitz to make it 9-6 before he was able to end the 8th.

It’s … not been great.

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To close the game was Gregory Soto for the Pirates, and a one-out single from Miguel Rojas was followed by Ohtani hitting his 12th homer of the year to cut the deficit to 9-8.

But that was it.

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43-25 on the year.

The series will conclude tomorrow as they go for a series win at 12:40 PM HT/3:40 PM PT/6:40 PM ET with Justin Wrobleski on the bump against Mitch Keller.

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