| Joe Gutierrez. 13th April, 2006 - 9:20 pm
 The Dodgers didn’t want to leave Pittsburgh with just one win, so Derek Lowe was given the nod to settle for a tie in the series. Los Angeles was able to do this when they annihilated the Pittsburgh Pirates 13-5 on Thursday, defeating opposing pitcher Oliver Perez in the process.
This was the first game in awhile where the Dodgers went silently in the first inning without scoring any runs. They finally delivered in the third on 1B Olmedo Saenz double to left, scoring SS Rafael Furcal and CF Jason Repko.
LA’s two run lead didn’t last for long as the Pirates came back with two of their own on a single by 2B Jose Castillo. Scoring on the hit was LF Jason Bay, with RF Jeromy Burnitz still on second. Lowe’s next pitch was a wild one that C Dioner Navarro couldn’t stop, which brought in Burnitz to score and tie the game.
The fifth inning showed what RF Cody Ross can contribute to the club when he slugged a grand slam to left, severing the 2-2 tie. In the Pirates fifth, Burnitz hit a two run homer to right, putting them within two.
Lowe went six innings and gave up two earned runs, on six hits. He would hand the ball over to left hander Tim Hamulack, but not before the Dodgers exploded for five runs in the top of the sixth. LF Jose Cruz Jr. and 2B Jeff Kent scored on a double to left by 3B Bill Mueller, who has been tearing the cover off the ball, and setting up Ross for his second homer of the day.
With Saenz and Mueller aboard, Ross belted the ball over the center field fence, and giving the Dodgers a firm seven run lead. The seventh brought Saenz to the plate, and yet again continued his hitting surge in Pittsburgh with a two-run home run to left. The Pirates were able to score one more in the eighth, but it was too little, too late as Lowe won his first game of the year.
Final Score: Dodgers 13, Pirates 5
Coming Up
The Dodgers come home to square off with their rivals, the San Francisco Giants for three games. Brad Penny goes for his third win of the year against Jamey Wright
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