Muncy homers, Roberts gets 700th win as manager in Dodgers’ 5-2 victory over Pirates
Los Angeles Dodgers' Max Muncy, left, celebrates as he heads to third after hitting a solo home run while Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Rodolfo Castro watches during the second inning of a baseball game Monday, July 3, 2023, in Los Angeles.
Los Angeles Dodgers' Max Muncy, left, heads to first after hitting a solo home run as Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Mitch Keller watches during the second inning of a baseball game Monday, July 3, 2023, in Los Angeles.
Pittsburgh Pirates' Carlos Santana, left, tries to score on a fielder's choice hit by Nick Gonzales before being tagged out by Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Will Smith during the second inning of a baseball game Monday, July 3, 2023, in Los Angeles.
Pittsburgh Pirates' Carlos Santana, right, is tagged out at home by Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Will Smith as he tries to score on a fielder's choice hit by Nick Gonzales during the second inning of a baseball game Monday, July 3, 2023, in Los Angeles.
Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Mitch Keller throws to the plate during the first inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers Monday, July 3, 2023, in Los Angeles.
Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Michael Grove throws to the plate during the first inning of a baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates Monday, July 3, 2023, in Los Angeles.
Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Mitch Keller throws to the plate during the first inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers Monday, July 3, 2023, in Los Angeles.
Los Angeles Dodgers' Miguel Rojas appears to smell his bat prior to a baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates Monday, July 3, 2023, in Los Angeles.
Los Angeles Dodgers' Max Muncy gestures as he score after hitting a solo home run during the second inning of a baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates Monday, July 3, 2023, in Los Angeles.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Max Muncy hit his 18th homer of the season, and Los Angeles defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates 5-2 Monday night to get Dave Roberts his 700th win as the Dodgers’ manager.
Jason Heyward and Miguel Rojas had RBI doubles to help the Dodgers bounce back after dropping the last two games in a weekend series at Kansas City.
Caleb Ferguson (5-3), the second of six Los Angeles pitchers, got the win. Michael Grove, who was called up before the game when Clayton Kershaw went on the injured list, got the start and went four innings.
Evan Phillips worked the ninth for his 12th save
The Pirates have dropped three straight as they left nine on base and were 2 for 9 with runners in scoring position.
Mitch Keller (9-4) gave up five runs (four earned) in five innings and struck out seven.
The Pirates got on the board in the second inning when Nick Gonzales scored after Jared Triolo lined a base hit into right field.
The Dodgers answered back with two in the home half. Muncy led off with a solo shot to center on a full count. Two batters later, David Peralta doubled to left-center and scored when Heyward’s sharp grounder that ricocheted off the glove of Pirates first baseman Carlos Santana into shallow right field for what was scored a double.
Los Angeles added a run in the fourth. Miguel Vargas got aboard with two out after he was hit by pitch and then scored on Rojas’ double off the wall in left-center.
The Dodgers extended their lead to 5-1 in the fifth on Peralta’s RBI base hit and when Will Smith scored after Santana was unable to field Heyward’s grounder.
The Pirates got one back in the sixth when Henry Davis came home on Austin Hedges’ sacrifice fly.
A LOADED SECOND
Both teams had the bases loaded with two outs in the second but were unable to convert.
Dodgers’ first baseman Freddie Freeman had a hand in both.
He ended the Pirates’ inning after fielding Josh Palacios’ grounder. Then, as the eighth batter up in the Dodgers’ half, Freeman was unable to extend their lead by grounding out to third baseman Triolo.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Pirates: 3B Ke’Bryan Hayes (low back inflammation) took batting practice and fielded grounders before the game. Manager Derek Shelton is optimistic that Hayes could be back on Wednesday or shortly after, when he is eligible to come off the injured list.
UP NEXT
Pirates: RHP Luis Ortiz (2-3, 4.11 ERA) faces Los Angeles for the first time.
Dodgers: RHP Emmet Sheehan (2-0, 2.65 ERA) makes his fourth start since being called up from Double-A Tulsa on June 16.
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