PITTSBURGH (AP) — Chris Taylor hit a go-ahead, three-run home run in the eighth inning to help the Los Angeles Dodgers overcome a five-run deficit and rally to an 8-7 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday night.
Taylor took a sinker from Colin Holderman (0-1) deep to left for his fifth homer of the season. He singled his previous two at-bats and reached on an error in the second.
The third baseman was coming off four straight games without a hit, bringing his average down to .111. Taylor didn’t have more than one hit in his first 16 games.
“It’s not the first time I’ve had a slow start to the season,” Taylor said. “It’s always hard. Everybody wants to start the year off well. You just kind of have to take it one day at a time and focus on helping the team win any way you can.”
Yency Almonte (2-0) struck out two in a scoreless seventh for the win and Shelby Miller sent the side down in order in the ninth for his first save in the majors.
Los Angeles has won three straight after a 10-11 start.
“It’s big. It’s big,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “Guys kept grinding and having good at bats. … There were a lot of good things that happened tonight.”
It ended the Pirates’ seven-game winning streak, their longest since an 11-game run in 2018.
“We just didn’t play a clean game,” Pittsburgh manager Derek Shelton said. “Certainly not the type of game you need to play to beat a team that is capable of winning the world championship. We made too many mistakes tonight and it eventually came back to beat us.”
James Outman had two doubles, his first leading off a two-run sixth for the Dodgers.
Andrew McCutchen put Pittsburgh ahead 7-2 with a three-run homer, sending a sinker from Noah Syndergaard to right in a four-run fourth. Syndergaard was pulled after the inning, allowing seven runs on nine hits.
McCutchen popped out with the bases loaded to end the eighth.
Johan Oviedo gave up five runs on six hits in 5 1/3 innings for Pittsburgh.
After Los Angeles plated one in the fifth and two more an inning later to cut it to 7-5, Mookie Betts came to bat with two outs in the sixth. He drove a slider from Robert Stephenson toward the bleachers in left. Jack Suwinski instead made a leaping grab at the wall to rob what would have been a three-run, go-ahead homer.
Suwinski could not do the same to Taylor two innings later.
“If that one wouldn’t have went out, then I just felt it wasn’t meant to be,” Roberts said. “Because Chris really got into that one.”
STAYING PUT
Pittsburgh outfielder Bryan Reynolds has agreed to an eight-year deal worth $106.75 million, three people with knowledge of the agreement told the Associated Press. They spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the deal was not official pending a physical. The 2021 All-Star has a .294 average with five home runs and 18 RBIs in 22 games this season. Reynolds missed a second straight game since being placed on the Bereavement List on Sunday.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Dodgers: INF Michael Busch was recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma City to make his major league debut, serving as the designated hitter with INF Max Muncy on the paternity list. The 25-year-old prospect had an RBI single, his first hit in the majors, with one out in the sixth and walked in the eighth. … DH J.D. Martinez did not play with back discomfort first experienced in his final at bat against the Chicago Cubs on Sunday.
UP NEXT
RHP Tony Gonsolin is expected to take the mound for the Dodgers opposite Pirates RHP Roansy Contreras (2-1, 4.57) on Wednesday. Gonsolin (left ankle sprain) is set to be activated from the 15-day injured list to make his season debut.
