Dodgers vs. Pittsburgh Pirates: Ryan Pepiot makes debut, but Dodgers lose 5-3

Ryan Pepiot’s MLB debut began with a flash of potential.

In his first career start with the Dodgers on Wednesday afternoon, Pepiot dispatched Pittsburgh Pirates leadoff hitter Ben Gamel on four pitches, getting ahead with a tailing 95-mph fastball before fanning him with a trademark changeup.

The rest of the day wasn’t nearly as simple for the 24-year-old right-hander, who is ranked as the Dodgers No. 2 pitching prospect, according to MLB Pipeline.

He walked five batters and hit another in three innings. He found the strike zone on just 41 of 77 pitches. Nine of his 16 at-bats came with a man on base.

Pepiot escaped each predicament, pitching his way out of every dangerous situation to keep the Pirates scoreless over his three innings.

However, he left a lot of work to the bullpen, which faltered down the stretch in the Dodgers’ 5-3 rubber match loss at PNC Park.

Three innings after Pepiot left the mound, the Pirates broke open a scoreless game in a five-pitch span against Dodgers reliever Tommy Kahnle.

Pitching for his first time in a week, and making only his third outing since returning from Tommy John surgery, Kahnle gave up a solo home run to Jack Suwinksi with a fastball on his first pitch of the day. After Kahnle plunked Diego Castillo in the next at-bat, Josh VanMeter also got ahold of a first-pitch fastball, taking the right-hander deep for a two-run blast.

The Pirates let the Dodgers rally the next half-inning, walking two batters and committing an error to load the bases. Edwin Ríos hit a three-run double to tie the score, giving him seven RBIs in the series.

But after the Dodgers squandered another bases-loaded opportunity to end the seventh, with Will Smith lining out sharply and Max Muncy taking a called third strike for the final out, the Pirates went back in front in the bottom of the frame when Daniel Vogelbach hit a solo shot off Daniel Hudson.

The Pirates tacked on an insurance run in the eighth.

It was the first time all season the Dodgers have given up three home runs in a game, and the first time the team’s bullpen had been charged with at least five runs.

Pepiot was able to avoid such calamity.

Despite walking a batter and giving up a single in the first inning, Pepiot got a pop out to retire the side. He sandwiched two walks around a hit batter with two out in the second to load the bases, but got Bryan Reynolds to chase a fastball for the final out. It was Pepiot’s third and final strikeout.

In the third inning, Pepiot’s command — especially with changeups and fastballs that too often ran too far off the right side of the plate — continued to elude him as he walked two more batters. However, he once again returned to the dugout unscathed, retiring the side on a deep fly ball.

While Pepiot survived, however, his team still stumbled to a disappointing series loss.

Final: Pirates 5, Dodgers 3

It didn’t take long for the Dodgers missed opportunity in the top of the seventh to cost them.

With one out in the bottom of the frame, the Pirates retook the lead on a solo home run from Daniel Vogelbach off Daniel Hudson.

Today is the first time this season the Dodgers have allowed three home runs in a game.

End 7th: Pirates lead 4-3

The Dodgers had the bases loaded twice in the seventh inning.

They took advantage the first time, as Edwin Ríos hit a game-tying three-run double to right center field. Ríos is 5 for 9 this series with seven RBIs.

After a couple walks juiced the bases again, however, the team couldn’t take the lead. Will Smith hit a sharp line drive that was caught at short. Then Max Muncy struck out looking in full count to retire the side.

Mid 7th: Tied 3-3

The Pirates broke open a scoreless game in a five-pitch span against Dodgers reliever Tommy Kahnle.

Pitching for his first time in a week, and making only his third outing since returning from Tommy John surgery, Kahnle gave up a solo home run to Jack Suwinksi with a fastball on his first pitch of the day.

After Kahnle plunked Diego Castillo in the next at-bat, Josh VanMeter also got ahold of a first-pitch fastball, taking the right-hander deep for a two-run blast.

End 6th: Pirates lead 3-0

Five walks and a hit-by-pitch marred Ryan Pepiot’s major league debut. But his pitches were difficult for the Pirates to barrel, and the Dodgers rookie right-hander escaped with three scoreless innings.

With his extended family in the stands after driving five hours from Indiana, Pepiot needed 77 pitches to navigate through 16 batters. He left seven runners on base, making key pitches to work out of each jam.

Pepiot allowed one hit — a first-inning single by Daniel Vogelbach — and struck out three. His command issues were mostly with his signature changeup, which consistently ran out of the strike zone on his arm side.

End 3rd: No score

After two quick outs in the second, Ryan Pepiot ran into trouble, sandwiching two walks around a hit batter to load the bases.

After a mound visit from pitching coach Mark Prior, however, Pepiot settled down, striking out Bryan Reynolds to escape the jam.

His pitch count is up to 48 after two innings.

End 2nd: No score

Ryan Pepiot’s MLB career started well, with the right-hander picking up a strikeout in his first at-bat and stranding a couple runners for a scoreless first inning.

Pepiot fanned leadoff hitter Ben Gamel with a changeup to begin his day. After a walk to Bryan Reynolds, Ke’Bryan Hayes hit a deep flyout to left center.

The Dodgers challenged the play, contending Reynolds hadn’t retouched second base while returning to first. But replay review confirmed the call on the field.

Pepiot gave up a single to Daniel Vogelbach in the next at-bat but got a pop out from Michael Chavis to retire the side after 21 pitches.

End 1st: No score

Mookie Betts gets a day off and Trea Turner will bat leadoff in the Dodgers’ series finale at Pittsburgh on Wednesday morning.

Chris Taylor will play right field, returning from the left knee bone bruise he suffered Monday. Catcher Will Smith will bat in Turner’s customary No. 3 spot, playing for the first time since Sunday after dealing with right pectoral tightness. Gavin Lux is in left field and Edwin Rios will be the designated hitter against Pirates starter Dillon Peters.

Peters, a left-hander, is 3-1 with a 2.16 ERA over nine appearances, including two starts, this season. He isn’t expected to go deep into the game, which would explain why the Dodgers lineup includes five left-handed hitters.

Peters hasn’t allowed a hit this season to a left-handed batter and has allowed only three hits in 16 2/3 innings. His longest outing this season is 3 1/3 innings.

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PITTSBURGH — Dodgers manager Dave Roberts had a feeling Tuesday afternoon.

The night before, his team had suffered an uncharacteristic game at the plate. The Dodgers hit plenty of balls hard in their series opener against the Pittsburgh Pirates but mustered only five hits and one run in a rare lopsided loss.

Roberts anticipated a response.

“Last night was an ugly one,” he said. “I expected to see a different result tonight.”

That he did, with the Dodgers putting on an exhibition with the bats to rout the Pirates, 11-1, at PNC Park.

The Dodgers recorded a season high in runs and hits, racking up 15. They collected eight doubles, tying the most since relocating to Los Angeles. They also had a triple, a home run and three walks, going eight for 14 with runners in scoring position.

“It was a really good offensive night,” Roberts said. “Just good to see guys break out.”

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Dodgers starting pitcher Ryan Pepiot delivers against the Texas Rangers in a spring training game on March 31.

(Charlie Riedel / Associated Press)

PITTSBURGH — Moments after pulling his prized pitching pupil from a game, Travis Barbary followed a frustrated Ryan Pepiot into a dugout tunnel to deliver a much-needed message.

Pepiot, one of the Dodgers’ best prospects, had just had one of the worst starts of his professional career, giving up six runs in Salt Lake City before being pulled in the third inning. He was mired in one of the few slumps he’d faced since being drafted in the third round in 2019, struggling to adjust to his first stint in triple A.

And as he came off the mound that September night, the 24-year-old’s frustration was peaking.

“I got in my own head with some things,” Pepiot said.

Barbary, the Dodgers’ triple A manager, wanted to remind him that his talent was still supreme, that almost every player hits bumps on their journey as a prospect, that a first major league call-up wasn’t as far as it seemed.

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Here’s a look at the Dodgers broadcast and streaming schedule for the remainder of the 2022 regular-season: