Cody Snavely
Game 63, 6/4/2024: Dodgers 0, Pirates 1
PITTSBURGH, PA — The Los Angeles Dodgers kick off their six-game road trip in the steel city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with a three-game set against the Pirates.
The first game of the series promises a showdown of epic proportions, with two formidable flamethrowers taking the mound. Pirates rookie Jared Jones, boasting a 3-5 record and a 3.55 ERA this year, will go head-to-head with former Pirate Tyler Glasnow, who is making a long-awaited return to PNC Park after nearly seven years.
Adding to the intrigue of the game, it’s a special day for Shohei Ohtani. He’s making his first career start at PNC Park, a milestone in his career. This also marks the completion of the thirty-for-thirty mark in activated parks played in.
In recent years, the Dodgers have struggled against the Pirates, collecting only five wins in their last thirteen meetings since the 2022 season.
Jared Jones was electric early, pumping one hundred mph fastballs with ease. Entering the day, Jones ranked in the 94th percentile in fastball velocity, averaging 97.4mph, a pitch the Dodgers have struggled against this season with a -6.5 run value.
Tyler Glasnow had a 3-11 record with an ERA of 5.79 and 152 strikeouts in 56 appearances for the Pirates in his career until he was ultimately traded to the Tampa Bay Rays during the 2018 MLB season.
Entering the day, Glasnow was leading the league in strikeouts with 97 so far, and he would add to that total, becoming the first starter in 2024 to eclipse one hundred strikeouts.
However, the Pirates would strike first with a cannonball blast off the bat of Jack Suwinski, who, entering today, has a .317 batting average with thirteen hits, four homers, eight RBIs, and eight runs scored in twelve games played against Los Angeles.
The fans in Pittsburgh were treated to an old-fashioned pitchers’ duel, with Glasnow and Jones going blow for blow.
Despite three walks, Jones was able to weave his way to six shutout innings against the Dodgers offense, collecting six strikeouts and allowing only three hits with one hundred pitches on the night, a new career-high.
The Dodger’s offense continues to be a problem, especially during games started by Tyler Glasnow, as the team has yet to score a single run for their ace when he’s in a game since May 4th.
Tyler Glasnow would do all he could going six innings, allowing one run on three hits while striking out nine batters in the process, and he would hand it off to the Dodgers bullpen for the remainder of the game.
With Jones out of the game, the Dodgers bats were hoping to feed off the Pirates bullpen, which came into today’s game ranking twenty-fourth in the league with a 4.44 ERA.
Gavin Lux started the seventh inning with a lead-off double, bringing up Miguel Rojas, Chris Taylor, and Mookie Betts. They all failed to capitalize on the opportunity, going 0-for-10 so far on the night with RISP, a common theme for the Dodgers’ up-and-down offense in 2024.
Entering the night, the Pirates bullpen, which had eighteen blown leads so far in 2024, kept the Dodgers bats at bay, shutting the door on any comeback win tonight for the Boys in Blue.
The Dodgers will have another test with young right-handed pitcher Paul Skenes taking the mound against left-handed veteran James Paxton with the first pitch at 6:45 PM ET/3:45 PM PT.
Have you subscribed to the Bleed Los Podcast YouTube channel? Be sure to ring the notification bell to watch player interviews, participate in shows & promotions, and stay up to date on all Dodgers news and rumors!
