Dodgers at Pirates
Hyun-Jin Ryu opened the season by losing his first four starts, but he has gone more than 2 1/2 months without tasting defeat in helping the Los Angeles Dodgers turn the National League pennant race into a runaway. Ryu carries a nine-start unbeaten streak into Thursday afternoon's finale of a four-game series at the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Ryu will have an impossible act to follow after teammate Rich Hill lost a perfect game on an error in the ninth inning before losing his no-hit bid and the game on Josh Harrison's walk-off homer to lead off the 10th. Shortstop Corey Seager extended his hitting streak to 12 games by going 3-for-5 for Los Angeles, which lost for only the fifth time in 28 games. Harrison's dramatic blast made him 5-for-13 with two homers, two doubles and five RBIs in the series, keeping Pittsburgh eight games back of NL Central-leading Chicago and 7 1/2 out of the second wild card. In winning for only the third time in 11 games, the Pirates became the second team in league history to post a walk-off victory in extra innings on its only hit of the game.
TV: 4:05 p.m. ET, SportsNet LA (Los Angeles), AT&T SportsNet-Pittsburgh
PITCHING MATCHUP: Dodgers LH Hyun-Jin Ryu (4-6, 3.45 ERA) vs. Pirates RH Chad Kuhl (6-8, 4.52)
Victories continue to elude Ryu, who has earned only one win over his last seven turns despite surrendering a combined nine runs in that span. The 30-year-old South Korean had to settle for another no-decision last time out despite blanking Detroit on three hits over five innings -- the third time in four starts he did not allow a run. Ryu has posting a 2.79 ERA in winning all three starts versus Pittsburgh.
Kuhl went more than two months without a victory after winning his season debut, but he has turned things around by posting a 5-2 record over the past two months. The former Delaware product stymied St. Louis on one run and three hits over five innings last time out to win for the third time in four starts. Kuhl took the loss at Dodger Stadium on May 10 by giving up four runs on six hits over five innings.
WALK-OFFS
1. Harrison is 11-for-30 with four homers and eight RBIs over his past seven games.
2. Seager has his safely in all six games versus Pittsburgh this season, going 9-for-27.
3. Pirates C Francisco Cervelli (wrist) took batting practice Wednesday and is eligible to come off the disabled list Thursday.