Pittsburgh 11, LA Dodgers 5
When: 1:35 PM ET, Monday, April 5, 2010
Where: PNC Park, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Temperature:
76°
Umpires:
Home -
Larry Vanover, 1B -
John Hirschbeck, 2B -
Mark Carlson, 3B -
Al Porter
Attendance:
39024
By SportsDirect Inc.
Garrett Jones hit two home runs to propel the Pittsburgh Pirates (1-0) to their fourth straight opening day victory and first at home since 2004, an 11-5 triumph against the Los Angeles Dodgers (0-1).
Jones’ home runs, a 2-run 456-foot clout which reached the Allegheny River on a hop in the first inning to tie the score 2-2 and a solo shot just over the fence in left field in the third, precluded a Pirates’ 5-run fifth inning rally to cement the victory.
Lastings Millege’s opposite field double just inside the right field line drove in Andrew McCutchen for the first run of the Bucs’ big frame.
One hitter later, after Dodgers manager Joe Torre removed starting pitcher Vicente Padilla (0-1) following an intentional walk; Ryan Church, pinch-hitting for starting pitcher Zach Duke (1-0) with two out, hit a bases loaded line drive double to right center to give Pittsburgh a 7-2 lead. Shortstop Ronny Cedeno then singled in Church to complete the scoring in the fifth.
The Dodgers scored three runs in the seventh when Manny Ramirez hit a soft single to center off D.J. Carrasco to drive in Rafael Fucal and Russell Martin. After Matt Kemp doubled, Ramirez then scored on a groundout by James Loney.
But hopes of a Dodgers comeback were quelled by Pirates’ catcher Ryan Doumit’s long 3-run homer to left with two out in the eighth off lefty George Sherrill.
Duke, 11-14 for Pittsburgh in their 99-loss 2009 campaign, pitched five innings, allowing seven hits while striking out and walking one batter. The only two runs he allowed came on Matt Kemp’s two out, 2-run single to left in the first inning.
Padilla, meanwhile, struggled with his control by walking three and hitting two batters, giving him 100 hit batsmen in his career. The right-hander also allowed six hits and seven earned runs while fanning two in his 4 2/3 inning stint.
The two teams next play on Wednesday night at 7:05 p.m., with the Dodgers’ left-hander Clayton Kershaw (8-8 in 2009) facing Pittsburgh right-hander Ross Ohlendorf (12-14 in 2009).
NOTES- Jones, who hit 21 homers for the Bucs in 2009, made the first opening day start of his three-year major league career in the game.
Speculation Dodgers second baseman Blake DeWitt would be platooned this season was at least temporarily put on hold as he started against left-handed Duke. DeWitt was 2 for 4 in the game.
Both Pittsburgh and Los Angeles used five relief pitchers in the game.
The Pirates had not won four consecutive opening day games since 1940, when they won their sixth straight opener. The Pirates had never before scored as many as 11 runs in a season-opening home game.
Top Game Performances
Team Stats Summary
| Team |
Hits |
HR |
TB |
Avg |
LOB |
K |
RBI |
BB |
SB |
Errors |
| LA Dodgers
|
12 |
0 |
16 |
.324 |
20 |
5 |
5 |
2 |
0 |
2 |
| Pittsburgh
|
10 |
3 |
23 |
.294 |
16 |
3 |
11 |
4 |
2 |
0 |
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