Tyler Glasnow aims to send Dodgers to sweep of reeling Pirates

Los Angeles Dodgers right-hander Tyler Glasnow will set a career high for starts in a season when he takes the mound against the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday afternoon.

It will be Glasnow's second start of the season against the team that drafted him in the fifth round in 2011. Also, it will be the 22nd start of his All-Star season, which is his first with his hometown Dodgers.

In a June 4 start at Pittsburgh, his lone outing against the Pirates to date, Glasnow gave up just one run on three hits over six innings but still was left with the loss after a 1-0 defeat.

Injuries kept Glasnow from making more than 14 starts in a season until 2023, when he made 21 for the Tampa Bay Rays. His 21st start with the Dodgers came Monday when he gave up three runs on five hits over six innings in a 5-3 victory against the Philadelphia Phillies.

Glasnow has not been without injuries this season, missing out on appearing in the All-Star Game for the first time because of lower back inflammation. But he already has set a career high in innings pitched with 127.

The Dodgers got past standout rookie Paul Skenes and the Pirates 4-1 on Saturday. Gavin Lux, who was batting in the cleanup position for the first time this season, drove in three runs while Teoscar Hernandez hit his 26th home run of the season.

"I don't get to hit third or fourth too much," Lux said. "Obviously when we're healthy, I'm not going to be there, which is fine. Just getting some opportunities with guys on base and trying to take advantage of that for sure."

The Pirates matched a season high with their sixth consecutive defeat Saturday, when they avoided a shutout on a home run by Ke'Bryan Hayes in the ninth inning.

The lone run Saturday came after they struck out 16 times in Friday's 9-5 loss to the Dodgers.

If there was a positive for the Pirates over the past two defeats, it was that they were able to reset their struggling bullpen after Domingo German pitched four relief innings Friday and Ben Heller went two innings Saturday.

"Huge that we were able to get through two games using two bullpen arms," Pirates manager Derek Shelton said. "We would have liked to use our leverage guys, on the flip side of it, but the fact that Ben was able to give us two today was really important."

The relievers figure to be fresh behind Pittsburgh left-hander Bailey Falter (5-7, 3.87 ERA), who will start on Sunday. Falter went just two innings in his most recent start Tuesday against the San Diego Padres, with his night ending early because of a three-hour rain delay.

Falter, a native of nearby Chino Hills, Calif., has made just two starts since returning from the injured list because of triceps tendinitis. He gave up two runs (one earned) over 5 1/3 innings to earn the win July 30 at Houston.

In two career appearances (one start) against the Dodgers, Falter is 0-1 with a 6.43 ERA. Sunday will be his first career start at Los Angeles.

--Field Level Media