Polanco, Walker have big nights in 12-7 win over Dodgers

Win: Vance Worley (3-1)

Loss: Paul Maholm (1-5)

The Pittsburgh Pirates (53-47) chased Josh Beckett before the end of the fourth inning, and added two 4-run innings in the game to defeat the Los Angeles Dodgers (56-46) 12-7 in a wild one on Tuesday night at PNC Park.

Neil Walker (.286-15HR-48RBI) continued his torrid pace with two hits, three RBI, and got the Pirates rolling, hitting his 15th home run of the season in the second inning to put the Pirates on the board 1-0. Ike Davis (.240-6HR-30RBI) would follow up in the inning with his first home run since June 9th, a solo homer to right center as the Pirates jumped out to an early 2-0 lead.

The Dodgers added two runs in the third to tie the game at 2-2 but the long ball continued for the Pirates, Gregory Polanco (.253-4HR-17RBI) hit his first home run since July 2nd, taking a high inside fastball from Beckett deep over the right field fence in the third inning for a solo home run. Walker added an RBI double in the third to get the two-run lead back for the Pirates, but sloppy defensive play kept the Dodgers in the game.

In the third inning, Pedro Alvarez (.239-15HR-47RBI) was credited with a throwing error, his MLB leading 22nd error, seven more than any other player, that led to a Dodgers run and after Alvarez exited the game in the fourth inning due to some knee discomfort after running out a double, Josh Harrison would get into the action in the sixth inning of making a big error at third base with a throwing error to first that led to two Dodgers runs and the game was tied at 4-4 in top of the sixth.

The Pirates, though, would battle back and pull ahead again in the sixth, thanks to a 2-out clutch at-bat from Polanco, who singled in two runs with an opposite field hit with a full count and bases loaded, scoring Russell Martin (.277-5HR-34RBI) and Ike Davis to put the Pirates up 6-4. Polanco showed great patience in the at-bat and had a nice bounce back game with two hits and three RBIs.

Travis Snider (.250-6HR-32RBI) would follow up with an RBI single, giving the Pirates a 7-4 lead in the sixth. The Pirates weren’t done adding to their lead in the inning and moments later Polanco would score on a wild pitch for the Pirates fourth run of inning as nine men came to the plate in the inning.

A key at-bat in the sixth was a 2-out walk from Gaby Sanchez (.235-5HR-16RBI) to load the bases who was pinch hitting for Vance Worley.

While Pittsburgh pulled ahead 8-4 in the sixth, the Dodgers weren’t going away. Adrian Gonzalez hit a two-run homer in the seventh to pull the Dodgers within two and Andy Van Slyke’s son, Scott Van Slyke homered to left off Tony Watson in the eighth to cut the Pirates lead to one.

The Pirates were battle tested all night would finally put the game away in the eighth with another four-run inning that was highlighted by Dodgers reliever Kris Perez walking four straight batters, Russell Martin driving in two runs.

Ernesto Frieri pitched a scoreless ninth and has thrown six straight scoreless innings.

• Vance Worley (3-1, 3.10 ERA) improved to 3-1 on the season. Worley allowed seven hits and four runs (1 earned) in six innings pitched. He struck out five and walked two.
• Justin Wilson and Clint Hurdle were tossed in the seventh inning after the Pirates retaliated for the Dodgers plunking Andrew McCutchen with a pitch. Wilson was not given a warning after hitting Justin Turner and was immediately ejected. “It’s part of baseball,” Wilson said. “Pitching inside is part of baseball…. Umpires decision. It is what it is.”
• Travis Snider started in place of Starling Marte who got the night off. “It was a managers decision,” Clint Hurdle said. “I’ve been trying to get bench guys in periodically after the break to get them some at-bats and to keep them fresh.”
• Gregory Polanco’s third inning home run was his first extra base hit since July 2nd and he had been hitting .158 over his last 14 games prior to the home run.
• Neil Walker and Gregory Polanco each drove in three runs, while Russell Martin, Ike Davis drove in two runs for Pirates.