The Pirates lost 5-4 Monday night despite a 4-for-4 day for Garrett Jones, and the Bucs have now lost four of their past five.
The Dodgers jumped out to a 2-0 lead off Jeff Karstens in the third when A.J. Ellis and Shane Victorino doubled and Matt Kemp singled home Victorino. But the Pirates tied the score in the bottom of the inning when Starling Marte led off with a single, Andrew McCutchen walked, and Jones brought home both players with a double to right.
In the fifth, the Dodgers went up by two yet again when pitcher Aaron Harang singled and Victorino reached down on a breaking pitch and hit a line-drive homer to right. (Victorino marks the second potential Pirates trade target -- the other being Chase Headley -- who has given the Bucs fits since the trading deadline.) The Bucs put two men on in the seventh and Neil Walker smashed a line drive, but pitcher Randy Choate caught it to end the threat. Los Angeles went up by three in the eighth when Juan Cruz entered, making his second appearance since his DL stint, and struggled to throw strikes. He left with the bases loaded, and Tony Watson gave up a line-drive single by Juan Rivera.
The Bucs scored two more in the bottom of the inning when McCutchen singled, Jones doubled, and McKenry singled, but Kenley Jansen shut them down in the ninth.