Pirates 3, Dodgers 2
LOS ANGELES -- Third baseman Aramis Ramirez drove in the go-ahead run in the eighth inning lifting the Pittsburgh Pirates to a 3-2 victory over Clayton Kershaw and the Los Angeles Dodgers before 49,441 at Dodger Stadium on Saturday night.
Ramirez smoked an RBI double off reliever Chris Hatcher as the Pirates (88-60) snapped a four-game losing streak. They also remained a game ahead of the Chicago Cubs in the wild-card race. Pittsburgh is four games back of the St. Louis Cardinals in the National League Central.
Despite the loss, the magic number for National League West-leading Dodgers (85-61) to clinch the division title fell to seven after the San Francisco Giants were blanked 6-0 by the Arizona Diamondbacks earlier in the day.
Kershaw (14-7) lost for the first time in 14 outings. Kershaw, who also had a four-game winning streak end, allowed three runs on seven hits with eight strikeouts and two walks in seven-plus innings.
Pirates starter Francisco Liriano (11-7) had a solid outing. Liriano, who is 4-0 in five career starts against Los Angeles, retired 16 straight batters after giving up a two-out double to third baseman Justin Turner in the first inning.
Catcher A.J. Ellis ripped a run-scoring double to left to plate third baseman Alex Guerrero to knot the score at 2 apiece in the seventh. However, Liriano was able to work out of a jam, inducing pinch-hitter Austin Barnes to ground into an inning-ending double play.
Pittsburgh closer Mark Melancon worked a 1-2-3 ninth for his major league-leading 47th save.
Center fielder Andrew McCutchen hit a two-run double in the third inning to give the Pirates the lead until the seventh.
Turner left the game after the sixth inning with left knee soreness.
Dodgers second baseman Howie Kendrick, who was activated Friday after missing 34 games with a left hamstring strain, lined a single down the right-field line, scoring left fielder Justin Ruggiano, for a 1-0 Los Angeles with no outs in the first.
In the third, McCutchen' s two-run double to right drove in shortstop Jordy Mercer and Liriano, both of whom reached on singles, for a 2-1 Pittsburgh advantage.
NOTES: The Dodgers continued to lead the National League with 173 home runs entering Saturday's contest. Los Angeles has not led the NL in homers since hitting 146 in 1983. ... The Pirates were 74-1 when leading after eight innings heading into Saturday's game. ... Dodgers INF Chase Utley worked out at 3B again. With 2B Howie Kendrick returning from a hamstring injury, Utley is expected to get occasional starts at 3B and 1B to keep his bat in the starting lineup. ... Pirates RHP Gerrit Cole (16-8, 2.60 ERA), the former UCLA star and Southern California native, will face Dodgers RHP Mike Bolsinger (6-3, 3.13 ERA) in the series finale Sunday.