The Pirates now have a winning record on the season after their victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers at PNC Park Monday night helped them to an 18-17 record.
Jeff Karstens pitched 5.2 innings and allowed one run on seven hits. Dodgers starter Chad Billingsley held steady with Karstens, allowing only a third-inning RBI single by Garrett Jones in the first seven innings.
In the eighth, however, the Bucs caught a huge break when the Dodgers had a man on first and no outs. Jose Tabata slid to catch a ball in left field, the batter was called out, and the Bucs doubled the runner off first. Replays showed that Tabata’s apparent catch was actually a trap. Dodgers manager Don Mattingly and infielder Juan Uribe were ejected for arguing, to no avail.
The Pirates then added three runs in the bottom of the inning. Garrett Jones led off with a walk, which was followed by doubles by Neil Walker, Lyle Overbay and Ryan Doumit (who went 3-for-4 on the day). That proved to be more than enough, and the Pirates now have a winning record to take into mid-May.
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