Pirates 5, Dodgers 4 (10 innings)
PITTSBURGH -- Pedro Alvarez lined a pinch-hit bases-loaded single over a five-man infield in the bottom of the 10th inning to give the Pittsburgh Pirates a 5-4 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday night.
The Pirates loaded the bases with none out against Jim Johnson (2-4) as shortstop Jung Ho Kang walked, catcher Francisco Cervelli singled and first baseman Sean Rodriguez had a bunt single.
Left-hander J.P. Howell relieved and manager Don Mattingly moved an outfielder into the infield, but Alvarez singled into right field for the game-winning hit.
The Pirates won for the 13th time in their last 16 home games and improved to 37-18 at PNC Park this season. They are 12-2 against National League West teams.
Pittsburgh (63-44) remained three games ahead of the Chicago Cubs in the NL wild card standings. Los Angeles (62-47) stayed three games in front of the San Francisco Giants in the NL West.
Left-handed reliever Antonio Bastardo (4-1) pitched a scoreless 10th for his second win in as many games.
This marked the first time the major league win leader (Pittsburgh right-hander Gerrit Cole) facing the major league strikeout leader (Los Angeles left-hander Kershaw) this late in a season since the Chicago White Sox's Wilbur Wood squared off against the California Angels' Nolan Ryan on Aug. 11, 1973, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
However, the pitching duel did not materialize.
Kershaw had his streak of 37 consecutive scoreless innings end when Pirates right fielder Gregory Polanco hit his first pitch of the game for a home run. Kershaw, who won his previous four starts, gave up four runs and nine hits in six innings with two walks and five strikeouts.
Kershaw raised his season strikeout total to 197, leaving him three shy of a sixth straight season with at least 200.
Cole allowed three runs and four hits in six innings while striking out five and walking three. His record remained 14-5, though, and he has only one win in four starts since the All-Star break.
Cole pitched at least six innings for the 18th time in 22 starts this season -- the other four have been against Cincinnati. He allowed three runs or fewer in all but one start.
Polanco, Kang, center fielder Andrew McCutchen, third baseman Aramis Ramirez and Cervelli, who came on in the eighth as a pinch hitter then stayed in the game at catcher, each had two hits in the Pirates' 14-hit barrage.
Shortstop Jimmy Rollins had three of the Dodgers' six hits and drove in two runs. Second baseman Howie Kendrick had two hits, including a two-run infield single on which Rollins sprinted home from second base.
The Dodgers tied it 4-4 in the seventh inning when Rollins hit a two-out RBI double.
The Pirates loaded the bases with none out in the eighth inning but did not score as left-handed reliever Luis Avilan escaped the jam.
The Pirates pulled ahead 4-3 with a two-run fifth inning. McCutchen hit an RBI double and scored on Ramirez's single.
Rollins had put the Dodgers ahead 3-2 in the top of the fifth with a one-out RBI single.
The Pirates pulled into a 2-2 tie in the fourth when catcher Chris Stewart drew a bases-loaded walk from Kershaw with two outs after the Dodgers had gone ahead on Kendrick's two-run infield single with two outs in the third.
Kershaw's streak ended quickly when Polanco hit his sixth home run of the season to give the Pirates a 1-0 lead. Kershaw had not allowed a run since July 5 against the New York Mets.
The major league record for consecutive scoreless inning is 59, set by Orel Hershiser in 1988 with the Dodgers.
It was just the second-longest streak by a Dodgers pitcher this year as right-hander Zack Greinke went 43 2/3 innings a row without allowing a run. That run was ended June 26 by the Mets.
Polanco homered to lead off the bottom of the first inning for the second straight game, also connecting off the Chicago Cubs' Dan Haren on Wednesday night.
NOTES: The Dodgers released OF Chris Heisey. He had been designated for assignment July 30. ... Pirates LHP J.A. Happ will have his turn in the rotation skipped and not start in the three-game series against the National League Central-leading Cardinals that begins next Tuesday at St. Louis. Happ lost his Pirates' debut Tuesday night, giving up four runs in 4 2/3 innings to the Chicago Cubs after being acquired from Seattle in a trade July 31. ... RHP Deolis Guerra was returned to the Pirates as a waiver claim by Cleveland was voided by Major League Baseball because he was found to have left knee inflammation. Guerra was placed on the 15-day disabled list, and Triple-A Indianapolis RHP Wilfredo Boscan was designated for assignment to clear a spot on the 40-man roster. ... Los Angeles RHP Mat Latos (4-7, 4.29 ERA) faces Pittsburgh LHP Francisco Liriano (7-6, 2.92 ERA) on Saturday afternoon in the middle game of the three-game series.