If your neighborhood is like mine, you’ll be watching this game on the east coast with fireworks going off the entire time. We’ll see if Luis Ortiz can limit the fireworks to the postgame for the Dodgers. And maybe the Pirates hitters can launch a few missiles to allow for new All-Star David Bednar to get an appearance.
The game preview and a recap of a very busy news day are below.
PIRATES (39-45) AT LOS ANGELES
Game Time: 9:10 PM EST
Pirates Starter: Luis Ortiz, RHP (2-3, 4.11)
Dodgers Starter: Emmet Sheehan, RHP (2-0, 2.65)
Pirates Lineups:
Game 2 vs the Dodgers.
Dodgers Lineups:
Tonight’s #Dodgers lineup vs. Pirates: pic.twitter.com/CHYLJpeXUP
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) July 4, 2023
DAILY PIRATES NEWS
David Bednar has been named to the NL All-Star team, giving the Pirates their second representative.
**David Bednar Named to All-Star Game
The Pirates made a lot of minor league moves today, including Liover Peguero moving up to Indianapolis. They also moved Lonnie White Jr. and Yordany De Los Santos up to full-season ball. They’ll be two guys to follow at the lower levels in the second half.
**Pirates Promote Liover Peguero to Indianapolis; Lonnie White Jr and Yordany De Los Santos
Today’s Prospect Watch has some deep tracks to follow, along with all of the minor league recaps for the day.
**Prospect Watch: Esmerlyn Valdez, Joshua Loeschorn, Andres Silvera
We’ve got a four part Roundtable for the upcoming first overall pick. The first part looks at what makes Dylan Crews the best pick for first overall.
**Pirates Roundtable: What is the argument for Dylan Crews first overall?
Dylan Crews or Paul Skenes? This draft offers two generational talents for the Pirates to choose between.
**Pirates Prospects Daily: The Generational Talent of the 2023 Draft Class
More Recent Pirates Features
7/2: Derek Shelton’s Difficult Job
6/30: Williams: Tathata and the Present Day Grades of the Pirates Position Players
6/29: Jared Triolo Has Positive Recovery From Negative Start to the Year
6/29: This May Be Exactly What This Team Needed
6/28: The Key To Success For Nick GonzalesPIRATES RECAP
By Jeff Reed
Final Score: Pirates 9, Dodgers 7
Player of the Game: Nick Gonzales, SS (3-for-4, 2 2B, 2 RBI)
The Pittsburgh Pirates and Los Angeles Dodgers celebrated the Fourth of July in grand fashion.
Dodgers rookie pitcher Emmet Sheehan sat down the first two hitters of the game, before walking the bases loaded. Including Henry Davis on a ball four that probably grazed some peach fuzz on Davis’ chin at 97 MPH. Nick Gonzales would lace a fastball to left field for a two-run book-rule double (Alex Stumpf is very adamant people know it’s “book-rule”).
With an early 2-0 lead, Luis Ortiz took the mound looking like it was going to be a long night. The first two hitters reached on singles, and Will Smith hit a sacrifice fly to cut the lead to 2-1.
With one out in the bottom of the second, Ortiz gave up a single followed by a two-run home run to AJ Outman, strike out, then a solo home run by Mookie Betts.
Following a scoreless third by both teams, Jack Suwinski lead off the fourth with a solo shot for his 18th home run on the season. Gonzales followed with his second double of the game, eventually coming home to score on an Austin Hedges bases loaded sacrifice fly to tie the game at four. Bryan Reynolds would give the Pirates the lead back with a RBI single against reliever Caleb Ferguson who had just entered the game.
Unfortunately the lead didn’t last long, when in similar fashion to the second inning, a Jason Heyward single was immediately followed by another AJ Outman two-run home run and 6-5 lead.
Davis tied the game in the sixth with a single to left field, when third base coach Mike Rabelo made a gutsy call to send Hedges that managed to work out.
The bullpen was keeping things in order, getting 3.2 scoreless innings from Carmen Mlodzinski, Ryan Borucki, and Colin Holderman. That was till Angel Perdomo took the mound and served up the first career home run for Dodgers’ rookie Jonny Deluca.
The Battlin’ Young Bucs weren’t ready to surrender though. With one out, Suwinski and Gonzales each worked walks. Jared Triolo then came through with a RBI single to tie the game at seven apiece. Josh Palacios pinch hit for Rodolfo Castro, and knocked in two more with a double to left field.
Recent addition to the All Star team David Bednar ran into a little trouble in the ninth, but was able to finish off a five-out save to close out the big comeback in a seesaw game 9-7.
