Dodgers vs. Pittsburgh Pirates recap: Dodgers suffer first sweep of season with 8-4 loss

Even a late Mookie Betts home run — his 16th of the season — wasn’t enough to save the Dodgers on Wednesday.

With an 8-4 loss to the Pirates on Wednesday, the Dodgers suffered several ugly firsts.

Their first sweep this season.

Their first home sweep in a three-plus game series since 2018.

And their first time getting beat by a non-NL West five times in a season since the 2018 Cincinnati Reds.

The Pirates put the game out of reach with three runs in the ninth, dropping the Dodgers to 33-17 on the season ahead of their measuring stick series against the New York Mets this weekend.

Final: Pirates 8, Dodgers 4

The Dodgers had another golden opportunity in the seventh.

Gavin Lux drew a leadoff walk. Mookie Betts singled and took second on the throw in the next at-bat. And once again, Freeman and Trea Turner came up with the chance to tie or take the lead.

Instead, they squandered their latest comeback chance.

Freeman hit into an unproductive groundout and Turner lifted a fly ball to center that was caught and converted for a double-play, with Lux getting thrown out at the plate trying to score.

The Pirates blew open their lead in the next half-inning, when Rodolfo Castro launched a two-run homer off Alex Vesia.

Mid 8th: Pirates lead 5-2

The Dodgers could have had a runner in scoring position with one out in the sixth.

Instead, Chris Taylor got too aggressive on the bases.

After drawing a leadoff walk, Taylor tried going first to third on a groundout by Hanser Alberto.

Taylor was instead thrown out at third on a double-play, with video replay confirming infielder Ke’Bryan Hayes applied a tag just in time after starting the sequence with a throw to first.

Austin Barnes singled in the next at-bat, but Cody Bellinger struck out to retire the side.

End 6th: Pirates lead 3-2

The Dodgers got one run in the fifth, but had the chance for a lot more.

A walk by Kevin Pillar, double from Gavin Lux and misplayed infield single courtesy of Mookie Betts loaded the bases with no outs.

But then Freddie Freeman hit an RBI groundout to first. Trea Turner struck out. And Justin Turner popped out.

Pillar — who had been looked at by a trainer after pulling into third base during the inning — exited the game to begin the sixth, too, replaced in the outfield by Cody Bellinger.

End 5th: Pirates lead 3-2

After the Dodgers tied the game in the bottom of the fourth — getting a Trea Turner double, Justin Turner single and Chris Taylor RBI single — Mitch White was one out away from getting through five innings with only one earned run.

Then, he hung a curveball to Bryan Reynolds.

Reynolds made him pay, pounding a two-run homer to right field.

It’s the fifth home run yielded by Dodgers pitchers this series.

Mid 5th: Pirates lead 3-1

It took four games since he was called up this weekend, but Kevin Pillar finally has his first hit for the Dodgers.

The West Hills native, who went to high school at Chaminade Prep and college at Cal State Dominguez Hills, was 0 for 11 before lining a double off the wall in center field in the third inning.

The Dodgers couldn’t capitalize on it, however, after Gavin Lux struck out and Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman hit grounders.

End 3rd: Pirates lead 1-0

The Dodgers find themselves in an early hole against the Pirates.

Again.

After falling behind 4-0 in each of the first two games in this series, the Dodgers trail by one after one because of an RBI single from Josh VanMeter in the top of the first.

Dodgers starter Mitch White allowed three of the Pirates first four batters to reach base before retiring the side.

End 1st: Pirates lead 1-0

Cody Bellinger wasn’t in the Dodgers lineup for a third straight game Wednesday, but will be available off the bench, according to manager Dave Roberts.

Bellinger hasn’t played since his abductor flared up during cage work on Monday afternoon, but is expected to be back in the lineup on Thursday.

Chris Taylor was back in Wednesday’s lineup a day after crashing into the wall on Tuesday.

Wednesday’s pitching matchup will feature Mitch White for the Dodgers, with the right-hander hoping to build off his scoreless four-inning start last week.

The Pirates will throw José Quintana on the mound. In a start against the left-hander on May 9, the Dodgers were shutout over six innings and managed only two hits.

Here’s the Dodgers full lineup Wednesday, as they try to avoid their first sweep of the season:

Pitching notes

Clayton Kershaw threw a bullpen session on Wednesday and could head out on a rehab assignment as soon as Friday or Saturday, Roberts said. Kershaw has been out since last month because of SI joint inflammation in his lower back.

Caleb Ferguson was back in the Dodgers clubhouse Wednesday and will likely be activated on Thursday.

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The first occurrence was unprecedented. The second was unfathomable.

Utility player Tucupita Marcano hit a two-run home run off Julio Urías’ poorly located four-seam fastball in the second inning Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium, giving the Pittsburgh Pirates an early four-run lead.

Just as he did Monday night against Walker Buehler. Second inning. Poorly located four-seam fastball. That three-run home run provided Pittsburgh with an early lead.

The home runs were the first of Marcano’s big league career.

And they both led to frustrating Dodgers losses, this one by a 5-3 score. Marcano’s home run followed a two-run shot by Michael Chavis in the first inning, and the Pirates capped the scoring with a run in the ninth.

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Here’s a look at the Dodgers broadcast and streaming schedule for the remainder of the 2022 regular season: