PITTSBURGH _ The Dodgers unveiled their starting lineup against the Pittsburgh Pirates Friday at around 3:45 p.m. local time. They were facing an opener for the third straight game so it was different than their usual configurations. Most notably, 26-year-old rookie Matt Beaty, a left-handed hitter with 13 career plate appearances, was in the leadoff spot counter Michael Feliz, a right-handed reliever the Pirates chose to open.
But before the teams took the field at PNC Park for the scheduled 7:05 p.m. first pitch, the Dodgers changed the batting order twice as they bounced around ideas on how to optimize their attack against Feliz and the Pirates' looming relievers.
Beaty stayed atop the lineup and, ultimately, the order didn't matter much in the Dodgers' 10-2 win. They pulverized Feliz. Five of the six batters he faced reached base, capped off by David Freese's grand slam. He allowed five runs and threw 22 pitches before he was chased with one out in the first inning. His earned-run average ballooned from 4.63 to 8.25.
The Dodgers (33-18) tacked on two runs on Austin Barnes's double in the third inning and two more on Cody Bellinger's 18th home run in the seventh inning in support of Walker Buehler, who didn't need much of it.
On the other side, Los Angeles continued succeeding with the conventional approach. Buehler gave up one run on five hits and a walk with six strikeouts across six innings. After a bumpy beginning to his season, the 24-year-old right-hander has allowed five runs and struck out 28 batters to two walks in 26 innings over his last four starts. It was the 11th straight quality start _ defined as allowing three or fewer runs over at least six innings _ for the Dodgers. Their starters have posted a 2.09 ERA in 24 games since April 25.
Facing an opener has become familiar for the Dodgers. The Tampa Bay Rays used one Wednesday and Thursday. But the Rays' use was planned. Tampa Bay was the first club to regularly start games with a reliever last season _ starting a movement that caught on with some other teams _ and built its pitching staff to sustain the scheme this season.
The Pirates (25-23) used an opener Friday out of desperation. Injuries have dwindled their starting pitching options, leaving Feliz to make his first major league start against the highest-scoring offense in the National League.
The Dodgers knew Steven Brault, a left-hander, would follow Feliz to pitch the bulk of the game. That variable was incorporated into their thought process. They had Beaty lead off as their left fielder for the second time in three games over the left-handed-hitting Joc Pederson because the plan was to replace Beaty with Chris Taylor, a right-handed hitter, once Brault took over for Feliz.
The thinking was they wouldn't have to face the decision of letting Pederson, who struggles against left-handers, face a left-hander multiple times. The strategy would ensure Pederson, whose 14 home runs have all been against right-handed pitchers, would be available to pinch-hit against a right-hander late in the game.
Initially, Justin Turner, Cody Bellinger, and Max Muncy followed Beaty, in that order. The third and final lineup iteration had Muncy, Turner and Bellinger batting second, third, and fourth, respectively, to break up Bellinger and Muncy, who are both left-handed batters.
"Just kind of thinking through more how they might attack us," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said before the game. "I just had some different thoughts. (We) usually have a lot more clarity but we settled on something."
Beaty began the game with a single and scored on Turner's double. Freese landed the final blow, launching a 3-2 fastball over the wall in right-center field for his third career grand slam and first since May 2013. That prompted Pirates manager Clint Hurdle to replace Feliz with Brault as the Dodgers batted around. They countered by replacing Beaty with Taylor in the bottom of the inning before Beaty even played left field _ perhaps giving birth to the position player opener.
Los Angeles added two runs with two outs in the third inning on the second of Barnes's two doubles against Brault. Those were the only runs Brault allowed over 5 2/3 innings, but the Dodgers opened with a big lead and never looked back.
