Pirates lose as Liriano continues to struggle
Pirates starting pitcher Francisco Liriano delivers to the Dodgers’ Yasiel Puig in the fifth inning Monday at PNC Park. Puig hit a two-run double that ended Liriano’s day. Liriano leads the National League with 59 walks, 13 more than the next pitcher.
The Dodgers’ Justin Turner scores along with teammate Enrique Hernandez on a Yasiel Puig single in the fifth inning Monday.
PITTSBURGH – It’s almost July, and Francisco Liriano is still searching for his control.
Liriano issued five more walks Monday and was knocked out in the fifth inning of Pittsburgh’s 5-4 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
“I’m missing my spots,” Liriano said. “It’d be nice to put a pitch where I need to. I’m not getting as many swings as I used to get.”
Liriano was charged with five runs, four earned, and four hits in 4 1/3 innings. He leads the NL with 59 walks – 13 more than Miami’s Tom Koehler in second – and his 5.33 ERA is the highest it has been since at any point he joined the Pirates in 2013.
“We’ve talked about a couple of different things,” manager Clint Hurdle said. “It’s just repeating the delivery, making pitches. Sometimes, it’s challenging to pitch with confidence when you aren’t feeling what you’ve normally felt when you’ve had success.”
Liriano (4-8) carried a 4-1 lead into the fifth, but he was chased by Yasiel Puig’s two-run single.
Howie Kendrick greeted Jared Hughes with an RBI single, and Puig took third on a throwing error by catcher Erik Kratz. Kendrick stole second, Scott Van Slyke struck out and A.J. Ellis drove in Puig with a grounder to the outfield grass in the shortstop hole, giving the Dodgers their first lead of the series.
The Pirates jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first against Scott Kazmir (6-3). Starling Marte had an RBI single, Sean Rodriguez walked with the bases loaded and Kratz had a two-run single.
But Kazmir responded with four scoreless innings from there, and Los Angeles’ bullpen put together a nice day. Kenley Jansen, the Dodgers’ sixth pitcher, got four outs for his 22nd save in 25 chances.
Justin Turner began the Dodgers’ comeback with a sacrifice fly in the third.
“It was resiliency,” manager Dave Roberts said. “We spot them four in the first, and (Kazmir) goes out there and throws up four zeroes and we responded, put up a crooked number and found a way to win a baseball game.”
In his first time pitching in back-to-back games this season and just his second appearance since being moved to the bullpen, Pirates right-hander Juan Nicasio pitched three innings of one-hit ball.
“(It was) very promising after the one inning last night,” Hurdle said. “We’re giving him a couple outings to settle in, and he settled in very well today.”
Pirates: OF Gregory Polanco did not start for the fourth straight game because of a left leg injury. He pinch-hit for the second consecutive game, striking out in the ninth.
Dodgers: LHP Julio Urias (0-2, 4.33 ERA) gets the ball when Los Angeles begins a three-game series in Milwaukee today.
Pirates: LHP Jonathon Niese (6-5, 4.93 ERA) will start the opener of a two-game series at Seattle. Niese has given up four runs or more in three consecutive starts.