Muncy homers, Roberts gets 700th win as manager in Dodgers’ 5-2 victory over Pirates
Associated Press
Pittsburgh鈥檚 Carlos Santana, right, is tagged out at home by Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Will Smith as he tries to score on a fielder鈥檚 choice hit by Nick Gonzales during the second inning of Monday鈥檚 game in Los Angeles.
Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts laughs as he walks through the dugout prior to a baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates Monday, July 3, 2023, in Los Angeles.
Los Angeles Dodgers' Max Muncy, left, celebrates as he heads to third after hitting a solo home run while Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Rodolfo Castro watches during the second inning of a baseball game Monday, July 3, 2023, in Los Angeles.
Mark J. Terrill - staff, AP
Los Angeles Dodgers鈥� Max Muncy, left, heads to first after hitting a solo home run as Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Mitch Keller watches during the second inning of a baseball game Monday, July 3, 2023, in Los Angeles.
Los Angeles Dodgers relief pitcher Evan Phillips, left, and catcher Will Smith congratulate each other after the /dodgers defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates 5-2 in a baseball game Monday, July 3, 2023, in Los Angeles.
Pittsburgh Pirates' Carlos Santana, left, tries to score on a fielder's choice hit by Nick Gonzales before being tagged out by Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Will Smith during the second inning of a baseball game Monday, July 3, 2023, in Los Angeles.
Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Mitch Keller throws to the plate during the first inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers Monday, July 3, 2023, in Los Angeles.
Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Michael Grove throws to the plate during the first inning of a baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates Monday, July 3, 2023, in Los Angeles.
Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Mitch Keller throws to the plate during the first inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers Monday, July 3, 2023, in Los Angeles.
Los Angeles Dodgers' Miguel Rojas appears to smell his bat prior to a baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates Monday, July 3, 2023, in Los Angeles.
Los Angeles Dodgers' Max Muncy gestures as he score after hitting a solo home run during the second inning of a baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates Monday, July 3, 2023, in Los Angeles.
LOS ANGELES (AP) 鈥� Max Muncy not only hit his 19th homer of the season Monday night, he was the first to congratulate Dave Roberts for his 700th win as the Dodgers鈥� manager after Los Angeles鈥� 5-2 in over the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Even if it took a couple minutes for Roberts to realize it.
鈥淢uncy and a couple people came through the line and said congratulations. I had no idea what they were talking about until I got to the office,鈥� Roberts said. 鈥淛ust happy to win a baseball game tonight. You have good player and a great organization.鈥�
Roberts is 700-416 in his eighth season as LA鈥檚 skipper that includes three trips to the World Series and a title in 2020.
Jason Heyward and Miguel Rojas had RBI doubles to help the Dodgers bounce back after dropping the last two games in a weekend series at Kansas City.
Muncy went deep for the first time since June 2. He has struggled at the plate since hitting 11 home runs in April.
Muncy missed 11 games last month with a left hamstring strain and was 3 for 21 since coming off the injured list.
He led off the second with a solo shot to center on a full-count fastball up in the zone from Mitch Keller (9-4) that tied the game at 1.
鈥淣o doubt it鈥檚 been a grind for me,鈥� said Muncy, who is hitting .195. 鈥淚鈥檝e had a lot of home runs, but I haven鈥檛 been anywhere close to the hitter I know I can be. I鈥檓 still just trying to make some adjustments to get back to doing that.鈥�
Caleb Ferguson (5-3), the second of six Los Angeles pitchers, got the win. Michael Grove, who was called up before the game when Clayton Kershaw went on the injured list, got the start and went four innings.
Evan Phillips worked the ninth for his 12th save
The Pirates have dropped three straight as they left nine on base and were 2 for 9 with runners in scoring position.
鈥淢itch wasn鈥檛 sharp, we didn鈥檛 play sharp defensively. Overall, we didn鈥檛 play a sharp game,鈥� manager Derek Shelton said.
Pittsburgh got on the board in the second inning when Nick Gonzales scored after Jared Triolo lined a base hit into right field.
The Dodgers answered back with two in the home half. Two batters after Muncy鈥檚 homer, David Peralta doubled to left-center and scored when Heyward鈥檚 sharp grounder ricocheted off the glove of Pirates first baseman Carlos Santana into shallow right field for what was scored a double.
Los Angeles added a run in the fourth. Miguel Vargas got aboard with two out after he was hit by pitch and then scored on Rojas鈥� double off the wall in left-center.
The Dodgers extended their lead to 5-1 in the fifth on Peralta鈥檚 RBI base hit and when Will Smith scored after Santana was unable to field Heyward鈥檚 grounder.
The Pirates got one back in the sixth when Henry Davis came home on Austin Hedges鈥� sacrifice fly.
A LOADED SECOND
Both teams had the bases loaded with two outs in the second but were unable to convert.
Dodgers鈥� first baseman Freddie Freeman had a hand in both.
He ended the Pirates鈥� inning after fielding Josh Palacios鈥� grounder. Then, as the eighth batter up in the Dodgers鈥� half, Freeman was unable to extend their lead by grounding out to third baseman Triolo.
TRAINER鈥橲 ROOM
Pirates: 3B Ke鈥橞ryan Hayes (low back inflammation) took batting practice and fielded grounders before the game. Manager Derek Shelton is optimistic that Hayes could be back on Wednesday or shortly after, when he is eligible to come off the injured list.