The Los Angeles Dodgers<\/a> failed to avoid the sweep in their series against the Pittsburgh Pirates<\/a>. They were unable to string together any offense until the late stages of the game. Paul Skenes<\/a> dominated on the bump, pitching six scoreless innings. He finished with 8 SO, 1 BB, 2 H, and 0 ER. The Dodgers will now take a three-game losing streak into Camden Yards, facing off against the Baltimore Orioles<\/a> (64-76).<\/p>\n Skenes started the game off red hot, retiring the first six Dodgers he faced. Dalton Rushing<\/a> doubled in the third, but was left stranded as Mookie Betts<\/a> hit into a Fielder’s choice.<\/p>\n The Pirates struck first in the bottom of the third with a single by Tommy Pham<\/a>, who drove in Bryan Reynolds<\/a> from third. Reynolds started the inning on a single, but quickly found himself 90 feet from home due to two wild pitches from Blake Snell<\/a>.<\/p>\n The Pirates added to their lead in the fifth inning, driving in four more runs. They started off the inning with back-to-back singles from Jared Triolo<\/a> and Nick Gonzales<\/a>. A Bryan Reynolds double drove in Triolo and advanced Gonzales to third.<\/p>\n Nick Yorke<\/a> followed with a double, scoring both Reynolds and Gonzales and moving Andrew McCutchen<\/a> to third. McCutchen scored on an Alexander Canario<\/a> single.<\/p>\n The Dodgers attempted a rally in the ninth, started by a Mookie Betts leadoff solo-homer. After bringing two runs across, Colin Holderman<\/a> was brought in for the save situation, and after allowing one more run, he struck out Ben Rortvedt<\/a> to end the game.<\/p>\n While the Dodgers fail to avoid the series sweep, they did show some fight in the final inning. Mookie started the rally, reminding fans how much of a power threat he is at the top of the lineup. They plated two more runs, forcing the Pirates to put in their closer to secure the win.<\/p>\n The bullpen also managed to keep the game within reach after Snell struggled in his start. The bullpen will need to replicate that same level of productivity for the Dodgers to succeed in October.<\/p>\n Two wild pitches by Snell cost the Dodgers early. Things unraveled further in the fifth, where he struggled to get ahead in the count. He left pitches over the plate, and the Pirates broke open the game.<\/p>\n “I really liked what I was throwing… mixing it with what I had… just frustrating,” Snell told SportsNet LA<\/a> when asked about his performance.<\/p>\nDodgers-Pirates Game Summary<\/h2>\n
What Went Right for the Dodgers<\/h2>\n
Dodgers Don\u2019t Go Quietly<\/h3>\n
Bullpen Showed Life<\/h3>\n
What Went Wrong for the Dodgers<\/h2>\n
Snell’s Control Issues<\/h3>\n
Dominated by Skenes<\/h3>\n