LOS ANGELES _ The Sunday matinee at Dodger Stadium was only three outs old when Brett Anderson, the Los Angeles Dodgers lefty, ducked down the tunnel toward the clubhouse. The Pirates were treated to a lengthy date with the Dodgers bullpen for the second day in a row.
On this steamy, sun-soaked Sunday in southern California, the Pirates started strong and finished stronger in an 11-3 win. Jordy Mercer, Sean Rodriguez and Jung Ho Kang homered. Rookie right-hander Chad Kuhl (3-0) turned in six solid innings, and the Pirates improved to 5-0 in his starts.
Kuhl scattered six hits and two runs over six innings. He struck out five and walked none.
The Pirates collected 16 hits, with Adam Frazier and Josh Harrison chipping in four apiece. Frazier, a late fill-in for the scratched Starling Marte (upper back discomfort), is 7 for 11 this season as a lefty facing left-handed pitching. Rodriguez had three hits, a walk and four RBIs.
Anderson, the Dodgers starter making his season debut after back surgery set him back, left after the first because of a mild left wrist sprain, but also because of the five runs that had scored. He allowed five runs on five hits, including two homers.
The Pirates (59-56) have won two of three games in each of their past three series. They travel now to San Francisco for a three-game series against the National League West division-leading Giants.
The Pirates' win in the series finale came on the heels of a disastrous game Saturday in which the offense had 10 hits and 11 walks but scored just four runs, tying a club record with 18 runners left on base. They were far less wasteful Sunday, going 5 for 13 with runners in scoring position.
Harrison, batting leadoff, jumped on Anderson's first offering in the first and slapped it into center field. After dribbling two grounders foul down the first-base line, Mercer cracked a full-count fastball halfway up the left-field grandstands for his eighth home run this season.
Kang walked, Francisco Cervelli singled and Rodriguez roped a three-run home run to right field. Rodriguez's 12th home run this season tied a career high, with 47 games left.
The Pirates added a run on Andrew McCutchen RBI single in the fourth, and another in the fifth when right fielder Josh Reddick lost Harrison's fly ball in the sun, and it fell for an RBI double.
Kuhl went on cruise control after serving up a solo shot to Joc Pederson in the fourth. Kuhl set down his last seven batters in order, using his slider to whiff his last two batters, Yasmani Grandal and Pederson.
By the time left-hander Antonio Bastardo entered in the seventh, the Dodgers already had used five pitchers. Bastardo's leadoff walk of Howie Kendrick was the Dodgers' only walk of the series. Bastardo later balked Kendrick home, trimming the Pirates' lead to 7-3.
Left-hander Felipe Rivero struck out three over 1 1/3 innings. He has struck out 13 batters over seven scoreless innings since being traded to the Pirates in the trade that sent former Pirates closer Mark Melancon to the Washington Nationals.
The Pirates piled on in the ninth, adding four runs off right-hander Josh Fields. Kang smoked a solo blast to left-center field that was estimated at 445 feet. It was Kang's second home run of the series, and his 13th this season. Rodriguez and Harrison added RBI singles, and the 11th and final run scored when Mercer reached on a fielding error by Adrian Gonzalez.
