Recap 4/12 | Dodgers 3 Pirates 2

The Dodgers completed their sweep of the Pirates tonight, with a 3-2 win. Five of the six games played by the Pirates have all been one-run games, and the pitching has still been fantastic for the Bucs, as they lead the MLB in team ERA.

Jeff Karstens started the game for the Pirates and got knocked around in the first inning, allowing three runs, with the RBIs going to Juan Rivera, James Loney, and Juan Uribe. He was pinch hit for in the top of the sixth, which closed the book on his day. He finished with three earned runs allowed on seven hits, three strikeouts, while walking and hitting one batter. Chris Resop pitched the sixth and seventh innings and looked pretty good, letting up only one hit and keeping the Dodgers lead at one. Jason Grilli threw a one-two-three eighth inning, striking out one. The Pirates pitching staff looked very good after the first inning, allowing only four hits in seven innings of work. Unfortunately, the offense could not backup them up.

The offense saw its best game of the series, which still wasn't all that great. Five of the first six outs for the Pirates were on strikeouts, with four of them coming looking. Andrew McCutchen doubled to lead off the fourth, but Casey McGehee, Yamaico Navarro, and Clint Barmes failed to bring him in. With one out in the fifth inning, Michael McKenry hit a solo homerun, his first of the season and third of his career, to straight away centerfield. McCutchen and McGehee singled to lead off the sixth inning and McCutchen came in to score on a sacrifice fly by Yamaico Navarro. Barmes singled, Pedro Alvarez grounded into a fielders choice, and Michael McKenry walked bringing up Matt Hague with a chance to tie the game up and possibly take the lead. The inning ended with a lineout to centerfield, on a ball which Hague could not have hit anymore solid. Jose Tabata singled to lead off the seventh, but Neil Walker followed him up grounding into a one-six-three double play. McCutchen singled giving him his third hit of the afternoon, but was gunned down trying to steal second. The Pirates were set down in order in both the eighth and ninth inning, as Javy Guerra converted his fifth save of the season, and third of the series.

Another tough loss for the Pirates and it's going to be a rough next two series against the Diamondbacks and Giants. The game tomorrow night will not be televised due to the Penguin playoff game against the Flyers, but make sure you listen to it on the radio as James McDonald is set to take the hill against Matt Cain, with the first pitch around 4:35 PM.