Pirates’ Bailey Falter continues homecoming trip against Dodgers

Pittsburgh Pirates left-hander Bailey Falter has been right at home over the past week, and he gets another chance to pitch in front of family and friends when he takes the mound against the host Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday.

Falter, who is from the Southern California city of Chino Hills, was even closer to home when he pitched against the Los Angeles Angels in Anaheim on Tuesday. He gave up three runs on five hits over four innings of a no-decision before Pittsburgh went on to a 9-3 victory.

Falter (1-2, 5.19 ERA) also tied a season high with five strikeouts in the outing but left early with low back tightness. He is 0-1 with a 7.36 ERA in three career meetings (two starts) against the Dodgers.

The Pirates are 3-2 on their LA-area road trip and were close to making it four wins in five games as they held a 4-3 lead in the seventh inning Saturday. After Pittsburgh pitchers held Los Angeles to four runs over the first 16 innings of the series, they gave up a gut-punch four-run eighth as the Dodgers pulled out an 8-4 victory.

Pirates leadoff man Oneil Cruz did his part with a leadoff home run and two RBIs.

“Confidence helps for sure, but just to continue to make good swings and put good swings on the ball and just keep working. That’s it,” Cruz said after his two-hit game with a walk.

The home run was Cruz’s eighth of the season, fourth to lead off a game and second leadoff shot on the road trip. His permanent role at the top of the order has been an excellent fit.

“I wasn’t looking for it,” Cruz said. “(Manager Derek Shelton) came to me one day and told me that he sees myself as a leadoff hitter, helping the team right away. And that was it.”

The Dodgers will send right-hander Tyler Glasnow to the mound Sunday after he also departed early from his previous start. Glasnow (1-0, 3.71) was dealing with leg cramps when his outing last Sunday against the Texas Rangers was limited to four-plus scoreless innings.

“I remember last year it happened right around this time,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said of Glasnow’s issue. “I don’t know if it was a combination of pickle juice and water or whatever it is but it didn’t show its head (again) after that one in Toronto. So hopefully this is a one-time occurrence.”

Glasnow won his season debut against the Atlanta Braves on March 31 and has allowed two runs or fewer in three of his four starts. A member of the Pirates from 2016-18, Glasnow is 0-1 in two career starts against his former team with a 2.08 ERA.

After they were shut out in the series opener following a brilliant start from the Pirates’ Paul Skenes on Friday, the Dodgers benefited from a go-ahead home run by Teoscar Hernandez and a three-run pinch-hit blast from Enrique Hernandez.

“In big situations, I just try to be simple, make contact,” Teoscar Hernandez said. “When you make contact, good things happen. So not trying to put so many things in my head and just see the ball, hit the ball.”

After he entered on a 1-for-16 downturn, the Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani had a triple and two doubles Saturday and scored twice.

–Field Level Media