Dodgers Highlights: LA Loses Series to Pirates, Fall Back to .500, Julio Urias Struggles Continue

The Los Angeles Dodgers have dropped the third and final game of the series to the Pirates, 6-2, and finish their seven-game road trip with a 4-3 record. Julio Urias took the loss, while Pirates RHP Mitch Keller got the win. The Dodgers are back at .500, and will head back home with a 13-13 record.

Here’s how it all went down:

Full Game Recap

The Dodgers got off to a hot start in the top of the 1st inning. A Mookie Betts walk and Jason Heyward single put runners at the corners with one out. After a James Outman strikeout and Heyward stolen base, David Peralta came through with a two-out, two-run single, already doubling the Dodgers run total from Wednesday’s loss.

This was a promising start for the Dodgers, and gave fans a lot of hope for an easy, series-clinching win. However, it didn’t last.

The Pirates came up in the bottom half of the 1st inning, and played their small-ball, gritty style of baseball. They brought seven men to the plate, stole three bases and nabbed a 3-2 lead.

Then, the pitchers took over. Julio Urias faced the minimum number of batters over the next four innings, while Mitch Keller turned into a strikeout machine.

However, in the 6th inning, Urias lost it.

After walking Andrew McCutchen, Urias allowed a two-run home run to Connor Joe, followed by a home run to the very next batter, Rodolfo Castro, giving the Pirates a 6-2 lead.

Urias has now given up back-to-back home runs in three straight starts, and raised his ERA to 4.41 on the year. He’s also had two consecutive rough outings.

The Dodgers bats went silent the rest of the way against the Pirates bullpen, and that was that. The Dodgers went 0-for-their-last-15, and 1-for-their-last-21. Not exactly a recipe for success.

What’s Next?

The Dodgers fly home to Los Angeles right after Thursday’s game, and get set for a three-game series with the struggling St. Louis Cardinals at Dodger Stadium.

Dustin May is scheduled to take the ball on Friday, Clayton Kershaw on Saturday and Noah Syndergaard on Sunday.

The Dodgers are expected to welcome Max Muncy and Brusdar Graterol back from the paternity list on Friday, and could get Will Smith back as early as Saturday. The Dodgers could really use those guys back.

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