Dodgers Recap: Road Trip Off to Rough Start in Frustrating Loss to Bucs

PITTSBURGH — The Dodgers went into Tuesday night at PNC Park looking to build momentum in September, but instead walked away with a frustrating 9–7 loss to the Pirates. The offense showed resilience and Shohei Ohtani delivered a jaw-dropping highlight, but in the end, the bullpen couldn’t hold the line.

A Rough Start, Then a Rebound for Kershaw

Clayton Kershaw’s final line—five innings, four runs allowed—doesn’t tell the whole story. The Pirates ambushed him in the first inning with what could only be described as a string of tough-luck knocks. Jared Triolo’s ground-rule double set the stage, followed by a pair of walks and a Tommy Pham blooper that just evaded a sliding Teoscar Herndez in right. By the time the dust settled, Pittsburgh had plated four runs. Ugh.

To Kershaw’s credit, he didn’t unravel. The veteran lefty bore down, mixing his slider and curveball with precision and giving the Dodgers four scoreless innings after that rocky opening frame. He struck out three, escaped a couple of jams, and even snagged a screaming comebacker from Pham that registered at 111 mph off the bat. When he departed after the fifth, the game was still well within reach.

It wasn’t vintage Kershaw dominance, but it was exactly the kind of steadying presence the Dodgers needed. Unfortunately, the bullpen couldn’t reward his effort.

Dodgers Show Some Moxie

Despite the early hole, the Dodgers refused to go quietly. Shohei Ohtani got them on the board in the third inning with a blast that will be replayed all season. He unloaded on a fastball from Bubba Chandler, sending it into the Allegheny night at 120 mph off the bat—the hardest-hit ball of his career. The solo shot marked his 46th homer of the season and his 100th as a Dodger.

Andy Pages followed up in the fourth with a solo homer of his own, tying the game at 4–4. Will Smith and Teoscar Hernández chipped in RBI hits, and Miguel Rojas continued to be a pest at the bottom of the order with a single and a walk. By the seventh inning, the Dodgers had clawed their way back to within a run at 7–6, showing the kind of fight that has carried them all season.

Bullpen Breaks Down

But the real story of the night was the bullpen. Kershaw handed the ball over in a tie game, but things quickly unraveled.

Edgardo Henriquez opened the sixth and immediately walked two. Henry Davis singled in one run, and even though Blake Treinen came in to stop the bleeding, he allowed both inherited runners to score on a Triolo double. Suddenly, it was 7–4 Pirates.

Michael Kopech and Anthony Banda followed, and neither left unscathed. Banda’s wild pitch advanced runners and set up another Pirates tally. Kirby Yates capped the forgettable night by allowing yet another run in the eighth on a Nick Gonzales RBI single.

In total, the Dodgers’ bullpen surrendered five runs in four innings, with no reliever recording a clean frame. Even Treinen and Banda, who technically escaped without earned runs charged, allowed their inherited runners to cross the plate. For a club with World Series aspirations, this was a sobering reminder of how vulnerable the relief corps can be when things start to snowball.

Ohtani Shines, But Not Enough

The silver lining was Ohtani, who not only delivered his record-setting home run but also doubled twice, including an RBI double in the ninth that gave the Dodgers a flicker of hope. He finished 3-for-5 with two RBIs, raising his OPS to .998 (take THAT, Schwarber!). Andy Pages added his 24th homer of the year, and Will Smith continued to swing a newly hot bat with three hits of his own.

Still, the Dodgers went just 2-for-10 with runners in scoring position, stranding six. They had opportunities, but the bullpen’s meltdown left them with little margin for error.

Looking Ahead

The loss dropped the Dodgers to 78–60, though they remain in first place in the NL West. But with the Padres lurking just a couple of games back, every September slip-up looms large.

All eyes now turn to Wednesday, when Shohei Ohtani takes the mound. His last outing at Dodger Stadium was strong, a bounce-back after two rough starts earlier in August. The Dodgers will need him sharp against Pittsburgh, especially with the bullpen taxed and searching for answers. He’ll face rookie Braxton Ashcroft, who has been used mostly in relief and figures to be on a short leash as more of an “opener.”

If there’s a bright spot, it’s that the offense continues to fight, and Ohtani looks locked in at the plate. But until the bullpen finds some consistency, nights like this one will make the Dodgers’ October path look a lot rockier.

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