PITTSBURGH (AP) — Tyler Callihan hit the first two home runs of his career, in the fourth inning and a off reliever Kyle Hurt in the eighth as the Pittsburgh Pirates rallied past the Los Angeles Dodgers 9-8 on Wednesday night.
Ohtani gave up season highs in runs (four), earned runs (three), and hits (six) in 6 2/3 innings as his ERA ticked up to 1.06. The four-time MVP struck out six and walked three before being removed following Brandon Lowe’s two-out, two-run double in the seventh.
Ohtani off Gregory Soto in the ninth, his 12th of the season, to draw the Dodgers within one. Soto retired the next two batters for his ninth save.
A Los Angeles comeback hardly seemed necessary when Ohtani exited with a 6-3 lead, seemingly in position to win his fifth straight start.
Callihan, a utility player, sent a fastball from Ohtani 427 feet over the right-field stands at PNC Park. With two on and nobody out in the eighth, Callihan pounced on a changeup from Hurt (1-1) to give the Pirates their first lead at 7-6. Spencer Horwitz added a two-run shot later in the inning off Jack Dreyer as Pittsburgh ended a four-game skid.
Evan Sisk (1-0) got the final out of the eighth.
Ryan Ward hit his first career grand slam for the Dodgers, a liner to the seats in right in the sixth that gave Los Angeles a 6-1 lead.
The Pirates, who gave up 10 runs in the seventh inning of a blowout loss on Tuesday, responded in the eighth to win for just the third time this season when trailing after seven innings.
Up next
The series wraps up on Thursday. Justin Wrobleski (7-2, 2.62 ERA) starts for Los Angeles against Pittsburgh’s Mitch Keller (5-3, 4.81).
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