Pirates Use a Pair of Two-Run Homers to Defeat Dodgers 5-3

The Pirates used a pair of two-run homers to power them to a 5-3 win and their second straight win over the Dodgers on Tuesday night in Los Angeles.

Michael Chavis returned to the Pirates lineup and made an instant impact on offense with a two-run shot in the first inning off Dodgers starter Julio Urias. It was the first of two hits and three times on base on the night for Chavis. 

Ice cold 🥶 pic.twitter.com/LcEzOy8wWM

— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) June 1, 2022

Tucupita Marcano hit his second homer in as many days with a second inning two-run blast to straight away center field, putting the Pirates ahead 4-0.

TUCUPITA MARCANO HAS HOMERED IN BACK-TO-BACK GAMES!!! pic.twitter.com/zhtpIaO6pU

— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) June 1, 2022

Bryan Reynolds delivered a clutch two-out RBI-double in the top of the ninth to give the Pirates a welcomed insurance run, putting them ahead 5-3.

After recording just one hit in his first 17 at-bats in a Pirates uniform, Tyler Heineman, a Los Angeles-native, collected three hits in the game. The Pirates outhit the Dodgers 11-4.

The Dodgers got on the board in the third inning when Trea Turner hit a two-run homer off of Mitch Keller to cut the Pirates lead in half.

Those were the only two runs that Keller allowed as he was able to get through five innings despite control issues.

The Bucs caught a bad break in the sixth inning when Tyler Beede struck out Kevin Pillar, but the ball got past Heineman allowing Justin Turner to score on the play.

Chris Stratton struck out the side in the eighth and Wil Crowe picked up his second save of the season. 

With the win, the Bucs have ensured a winning record against the first-place Dodgers with their fourth win in five tries against them this year. 

The Pirates will go for the sweep on Wednesday night. Jose Quintana (1-2, 2.15 ERA) will look to continue his strong season while pitching against Mitch White (1-0, 4.60 ERA).

Takeaways

• First Start Back: It was the first start for Keller since May 13 after he made a pair of relief appearances. Keller really battled control issues, walking five hitters and hitting another, but the Dodgers only managed a pair of hits off the right-hander. Keller did a good job overall preventing baserunners from scoring and picked up his second win of the season. His 98 pitches on the night were the most he’s thrown in a game this season and tied for the third-most in his career. A bulk of those pitches were sinkers, which Keller has added to his arsenal.
• Have Julio’s Number: Urias has established himself as one of the better left-handed starters in baseball but the Pirates had some success against him for the second time this season. Earlier this month, the Pirates handed Urias a loss after collecting 11 hits and a pair of runs against him. The Pirates recorded eight more hits against him on Tuesday night and tagged him with four earned runs. The Pirates are responsible for 40% of the hits allowed by Urias this season (19 of 47) and over 35% of his earned runs (6 of 17).
• Hot Hayes: Ke’Bryan Hayes picked up another base hit and drew a walk against the Dodgers in this one, continuing his hot stretch at the plate. Hayes entered play with seven hits including a pair of three-hit games over his last three contests. The road trip has so far been successful for the Bucs third baseman, who is breaking out at the plate after a brief slump.