Adrian Gonzalez gets rare day off against Pirates

LOS ANGELES -- Adrian Gonzalez gets a rare game off on Friday as the Dodgers battle the Pirates in the second game of a four-game series at Dodger Stadium.

Gonzalez had started the previous 21 games before Friday and has started 53 of 55 games this season, leading the team in both games played (54) and starts (53).

Scott Van Slyke gets the start at first base, solving the question of who would start in left field between him and Matt Kemp, with Andre Ethier remaining in center field against the left-handed Francisco Liriano.

Van Slyke has started all 12 games against southpaw starters this season and has been the Dodgers best hitter against left-handed pitching, hitting .314/.442/.800, leading the team in home runs (four), doubles (five), walks (eight) and total bases (28).

Drew Butera, who caught both Josh Beckett's no-hitter last Sunday in Philadelphia and Liriano's no-hitter with the Twins against Minnesota on May 3, 2011, starts behind the plate for the Dodgers, his fifth start in the last six games.

Chone Figgins gets the start at third base, his sixth start of the season and fifth at third base. Figgins is the only Dodger with any kind of a history against Liriano; he's 4-for-16 (.250) with a double and seven strikeouts.