PITTSBURGH _ Chad Kuhl lasted only four innings and the Pirates once again could not solve a lefty starter during their 5-2 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers at PNC Park Thursday.
The Pirates have lost nine of their past 12 games and are now 61-67. The Dodgers, who won their 90th game Thursday, won three of four games in the series. The Pirates begin a six-game divisional road trip Friday, with three against the Cincinnati Reds and three against the Chicago Cubs. Their next 13 games are against those two teams, and their next 28 are all against NL Central opponents.
The Pirates have hit .239 against lefties this season, 24th in the major leagues. After Rich Hill no-hit them through nine innings Wednesday, they managed a run and four hits against Hyun-Jin Ryu in six innings.
Five walks drove up Kuhl's pitch count. He threw 29 in the first inning. Pitching coach Ray Searage visited the mound after a walk to Yasmani Grandal loaded the bases with one out. Kuhl then struck out Adrian Gonzalez and Yasiel Puig.
A 12-pitch walk to Enrique Hernandez further elevated his pitch count in the second. Hernandez scored on Chris Taylor's single, after which Kuhl had thrown 55 pitches to record five outs.
The Pirates tied the score in the bottom of the inning, after Sean Rodriguez walked and Elias Diaz and Jordy Mercer singled. The Dodgers recaptured the lead in the fourth. Kuhl fell behind Curtis Granderson, as he did 11 of the 21 batters he faced, and left a 2-0 fastball over the middle. Granderson put it into the river on a bounce and the Dodgers led, 2-1.
Kuhl threw only 50 of his 92 pitches for strikes, and those 92 pitches recorded 12 outs. He allowed two runs and six hits. Steven Brault allowed a run in 22/3 innings of relief.
After Johnny Barbato replaced Brault in the seventh, he threw a full-count fastball near the top of the zone to Chris Taylor. Home-plate umpire Paul Emmel moved his arms as though to signal a called strike three, then stopped; Taylor took his base and the bases were loaded. Manager Clint Hurdle yelled from the dugout and Emmel ejected him immediately.
Reliever Angel Sanchez made his major league debut in the eighth inning, facing Justin Turner, Grandal and Gonzalez. Grandal and Gonzalez homered into the seats above the Clemente Wall in right field on consecutive pitches.
