Pirates offense gives too little too late in 5-3 loss to Dodgers

The Pirates couldn’t pull it together Tuesday night against the Dodgers.

Our beloved Buccos fell to the defending champs in a 5-2 loss.

In the beginning of the game, the Pirates looked like they had life, especially after Ke’Bryan Hayes hit a ball off the fair pole to go up 1-0.

Or so we thought.

After Ke’Bryan Hayes neglected to touch first base on his trot around the diamond, the Dodgers challenged the play and called the potential Rookie of the Year out. It killed any spark the Pirates could have made in that first inning.

JT Brubaker got the start for the Pirates tonight and pitched four scoreless innings against a very formidable lineup. However, he found trouble in the fifth and gave up three runs before Derek Shelton pulled him in favor of Chasen Shreve.

After the Hayes homer, the Pirates could not get much off of Dodgers starter Walker Buehler, who pitched seven “scoreless” innings and gave up just two hits.

The offense for the Pirates didn’t return to the game until late. An Adam Frazier double in the eighth inning scored Phillip Evans, who made his return to the lineup for the first time since May 12. Bryan Reynolds and Michael Perez also hit solo shots off of Dodgers reliever Nate Jones in the ninth to make it 5-3.

Unfortunately for the Pirates, it was too little too late.

The Pirates will get another crack at the Dodgers tomorrow night. First pitch is at 7:10 p.m. EST.