J.D. Martinez & David Peralta homer, Dodgers bullpen escapes to beat Pirates

The Dodgers bounced back after a rough defeat to overcome an early deficit beat the Pirates 6-4, headlined by back-to-back homers from J.D. Martinez, and David Peralta.

The Pirates certainly didn’t make it easy, twice loading the bases in the seventh and ninth, but in both occasions, the Dodgers bullpen survived and thrived, allowing no runs to cross the plate, holding on to a precious two-run lead.

By the bottom of the third inning, the Dodgers were trailing this one 4-0, after a couple of homers from Pittsburgh early in this game, but like in Tuesday’s loss, the lineup answered big, and did so, swiftly.

After Henry Davis’ three-run shot in the fourth, the Dodgers cut the deficit with a pair of runs in the bottom of the inning, parlaying a bunch of non-hits (two walks, one HBP), into a sac-fly from Jason Heyward, and RBI knock by Miguel Rojas.

An inning later, again beginning with multiple walks, the damage was larger, as J.D. Martinez connected on a three-run shot. And David Peralta made it back-to-back with a dinger that just stayed fair down the right-field line.

Miller with a ‘could’ve been worse’ outing

When Dodgers’ rookie starter Bobby Miller left the mound with two outs in the sixth inning, as the team led 6-4, it felt like a classic glass-half-full, half-empty scenarios.

On one hand, Miller had covered a good length, at least in comparison with the last few months, and left in line for the win.

On the other hand, the Pirates seemed to be on him all night long, and four runs across 5⅔ innings doesn’t exactly translate to the finest ERA. To illustrate how hard-hit balls were plentiful for the Bucs tonight, in every inning Miller pitched, Pittsburgh had at least one batted ball with an exit velocity above 100 mph.

The damage off Miller came exclusively on the home run, as Bryan Reynolds got the righty for a first-inning solo shot, ensuring another night of Pittsburgh starting with the lead, and then in the third, after Henry Davis doubled to begin the frame, followed by a Carlos Santana single, Jack Suwinski got a hold off a hanging slider, and went yard on it.

Miller did his best to try to complete six, in fact being the first Dodgers’ rookie arm to go over 100 pitches since Walker Buehler, but with two on, Dave Roberts brought in Phil Bickford to end the frame.

Escaping the bases loaded threat unscathed, twice

Facing a single batter in the sixth inning, Bickford was back out for the seventh, and lacking control, the right-hander left the game after back-to-back walks following a leadoff single loaded the bases.

With Phillips out of commission, having worked three straight days, Roberts gave the ball to Ryan Brasier, who went on to escape the frame without allowing a run, on a pair of lineouts, only one hard-hit, and lastly a pop-out.

A couple of innings later, Daniel Hudson came out for the save situation, and allowed the first three batters to reach, on a double, and two walks. With the bags full, needing three outs, up by two, Hudson bared down and struck out Henry Davis looking on a gorgeous slider. got Carlos Santana to pop out, and finished the game by fanning Jack Suwinski.

Wednesday particulars

Home runs: J.D. Martinez (20), David Peralta (6); Bryan Reynolds (9), Jack Suwinski (19)

WP — Bobby Miller (5-1): 5⅔ IP, 5 hits, 4 runs, 1 walk, 7 strikeouts

LP — Roansy Contreras (3-7): 1 IP, 3 hits, 4 runs, 2 walks, 2 strikeouts

SV — Daniel Hudson (1): 1 IP., 1 hit, 2 walks, 2 strikeouts

Up next

The Dodgers and Pirates will play the series finale on Thursday (7:10 p.m.; SportsNet LA, MLB Network), as Julio Urías will look to improve from his first outing back from the injured list, facing right-hander Johan Oviedo.