Dodgers rebound to beat Pirates in 11 innings
PITTSBURGH -- Clayton Kershaw walked away without a win after another quality start but the National League's ERA leader wasn't complaining.
After the Dodgers' bullpen melted down in the late innings, Juan Uribe singled in the winning run in the top of the 11th inning Saturday to lift Los Angeles to a 5-3 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park.
"You can control what you can control as a pitcher," said Kershaw, whose ERA dropped to 1.84. "The main thing is giving your team a chance to win the game and we were able to win today and it was a good win."
With the score tied 3-3, Andre Ethier led off the 11th by lining a double to left field off Vin Mazzaro (3-1). After a sacrifice bunt by Mark Ellis, Ethier scored when Uribe chopped a single over the head of third baseman Pedro Alvarez.
Pinch-hitter Nick Punto then doubled home Uribe to make it 5-3.
"It was a little dejecting to see them score a couple of runs late, but we quickly refocused," Ethier said. "The one thing we didn't want to try to do is swing for a home run to win the game. We just wanted to get a man on, get him over and get him in. We did a good job of executing there in the 11th inning."
Peter Moylan (1-0) pitched a scoreless 10th, preserving the tie as pinch-hitter Michael McKenry flied out with the bases loaded.
Deposed closer Brandon League worked the 11th for his 14th save in 18 opportunities, escaping a second-and-third jam with one out by getting Andrew McCutchen to ground out and Gaby Sanchez to fly out.
Kershaw, the Dodgers' ace, left the game after seven innings with a 3-1 lead. However, the left-hander wound up with a no-decision when Neil Walker hit an RBI single off Paco Rodriguez in the eighth and Travis Snider homered off closer Kenley Jansen with one out in the ninth.
It was Jansen's second blown save in five chances, but Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said he is not switching closers again.
"Kenley is throwing good," Mattingly said. "I don't want to start that up again."
Kershaw has gone five starts since winning at Milwaukee on May 20. He hasn't had a longer drought since 2009 when he went winless in his last 11 starts of the season.
The left-hander allowed only one run and three hits Saturday while striking out eight and walking three. He lowered his ERA to 1.84, but his record remained a lackluster 5-4 because of a lack of support from the offense and bullpen.
"Clayton shouldn't be disappointed and I don't think he is," Mattingly said. "Anyone who sees him pitch realizes he's absolutely dealing right now. He's doing everything you can ask of a pitcher -- except getting the wins."
Ethier had three hits. Walker and Snider had two hits each for Pittsburgh.
The Pirates' late rally took Brandon Cumpton off the hook for the loss in his major-league debut.
The 24-year-old allowed three runs and seven hits in five innings. He struck out five and walked one after having his contract selected from Triple-A Indianapolis, where he was 4-4 with a 3.31 ERA in 11 games (10 starts).
"You've got Cumpton and you've got Kershaw. You match him through five," Pirates manager Clint Hurdle. "He gave us everything he had. He did a very professional job."
The Pirates opened the scoring in the bottom of the first inning as Alex Presley doubled and scored on Russell Martin's fielder's choice grounder.
Cumpton took a shutout into the fifth inning before the Dodgers tied it at 1-1 on Skip Shumaker's single.
The Dodgers scored twice more in the sixth to go ahead as Cumpton gave up hits to the first three batters and was removed. Adrian Gonzalez doubled, moved to third on Hanley Ramirez's single and scored on Ethier's single. A.J. Ellis greeted reliever Bryan Morris with a sacrifice fly to make it 3-1.
The Dodgers (29-38) won for just the second time in their last seven games. The Pirates (40-28) had won five of their previous seven.
"I had everything running through my mind and I was trying to take it all in and enjoy the moment," Cumpton said. "Unfortunately I didn't get through the sixth inning. I wanted to get through six. I started falling behind in the sixth, and that didn't help me out too much."
NOTES: Pittsburgh designated LHP Mike Zagurski for assignment to clear a roster spot for Cumpton. ... Los Angeles LHP J.P. Howell dropped the appeal of his two-game suspension by Major League Baseball for his part in Tuesday's brawl with Arizona and began serving it Saturday. ... Dodgers LHP Chris Capuano (left shoulder strain) is expected to be activated from the disabled list and start Wednesday night against the Yankees at New York. Capuano has pitched nine innings in two starts on his rehab assignment at Triple-A Albuquerque. ... Pirates LF Starling Marte (strained left oblique) missed his third straight game and will be placed on the disabled list if he is not ready to play by Monday night when the Pirates open a four-game series at Cincinnati. ... Dodgers RHP Zack Greinke (3-1, 3.68 ERA) faces Pirates RHP Gerrit Cole (1-0, 2.84) on Sunday in the finale of the three-game series.
