Dodgers get to Paul Skenes early, defeat Pirates

Teoscar Hernandez hit a home run and Gavin Lux drove in three runs as the Los Angeles Dodgers earned a 4-1 victory over the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday to win for the fifth time in seven games.

In his fourth career start, Dodgers right-hander River Ryan departed after 4 2/3 scoreless innings with right forearm tightness. Right-hander Michael Kopech (3-8) pitched 1 1/3 innings to earn the win.

Pirates rookie right-hander Paul Skenes gave up a career high four runs on six hits over six innings. Skenes (6-2), who had one walk with eight strikeouts, has given up more than two runs in three of his 15 starts and two of those were to the Dodgers.

Ke'Bryan Hayes hit a home run in the ninth for the Pirates, his fourth. Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Bryan Reynolds and Michael A. Taylor each had two hits for Pittsburgh, who matched a season high with a sixth consecutive defeat.

Lux gave the Dodgers a 1-0 lead in the first inning with an RBI single to the opposite field in left-center. After missing last season with a knee injury and getting off to a slow start this season, Lux now has hits in 15 of his last 20 games.

It was Lux again in the third with a two-run single to right field against Skenes.

The Dodgers made it 4-0 in the fifth when Hernandez hit a home run to the opposite field in right-center, his 26th. Hernandez, who finished with three hits and scored three runs, also has four home runs in eight August games.

In two starts against the Dodgers, Skenes has allowed three home runs. They are the only club with multiple home runs against the top pick in the 2023 draft.

The Dodgers loaded the bases with nobody out in the seventh before Pirates right-hander Ben Heller struck out Hernandez, Freddie Freeman and Lux in succession to get out of the jam.

Hayes' home run in the ninth came off Dodgers right-hander Daniel Hudson.

--Field Level Media