The Dodgers trailed 3-0 after one inning but clawed back to beat the Pirates 4-3 on Saturday at Dodger Stadium. Pittsburgh's early advantage proved fleeting as Los Angeles chipped away and seized control in the fifth.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PIT | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| LAD | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | X | 4 | 0 | 0 |
Tarik Skubal anchored the Dodgers' victory, allowing three runs on five hits over seven innings while striking out 11. The right-hander settled into rhythm after a rough first and kept Pittsburgh off the board the rest of the way. Evan Phillips and Jack Dreyer combined for 0.2 innings of scoreless relief before Tanner Scott closed the ninth for his 19th save.
Pittsburgh struck fast. Oneil Cruz tripled to right field in the first, scoring Esmerlyn Valdez and Bryan Reynolds to give the Pirates a 2-0 lead. Rafael Flores Jr. grounded out moments later, bringing Cruz home for a 3-0 advantage. The early onslaught appeared to set the tone, but the Dodgers refused to fold. Teoscar Hernández singled in the fourth to score Max Muncy, cutting the deficit to 3-1. Alek Thomas followed with a single that brought Kyle Tucker home, narrowing the gap to one. In the fifth, Kyle Tucker delivered the decisive blow with a single that scored both Mookie Betts and Muncy, giving Los Angeles a 4-3 lead it would not relinquish.
Jared Jones lasted four innings for Pittsburgh, allowing two runs on three hits while walking five. The Pirates' bullpen surrendered two more runs over the final five innings as the comeback took hold.
The Dodgers improved to 79-51 and extended their winning streak to five games, maintaining first place in their division. Pittsburgh fell to 63-68 and dropped to fourth place, extending its losing streak to two.