First spotless series since 2020 comes with a ‘special’ feel

LOS ANGELES -- The streak is over.

"I don't even know when the last time we swept somebody was," Chris Stratton said to me in the Dodger Stadium clubhouse, music still playing in the background and beers being drunk by the victors.

Do you want to know?

He paused for a moment. "I guess," he said, a bit worried about the answer.

Aug. 21-23, 2020, against the Brewers.

A brief moment of visible relief comes over the reliever's face. “Ok," he said. "I was hoping it wasn’t 2019. I would have been one of the few guys left, then.”

During that conversation, reliever Tyler Beede strolled by with a broom, doing a little cleaning, playing it deadpan.

Hey, celebrate it. With an 8-4 win over the Dodgers Wednesday, the Pirates completed a three-game sweep of the Dodgers.

Last year's Pirates team had opportunities, but couldn't complete a series sweep all season. It was the first time since at least the start of the Expansion Era in 1961 that they weren't able to do so. 

That monkey is off their back. It was one they were well aware of all of last season and for the first chunk of this one, even if they didn't verbalize it.

Some, like Michael Chavis, used it as a motivator. He came to the Pirates at the trade deadline last year, and after hearing the Pirates didn't sweep a team last year made it a point to do what he could to prevent that from happening again.

"It [sweeping a team] was one of my personal goals," Chavis said. "I didn't care who it was... Couldn't have been a better turnout."

And they snapped the streak by beating the team who had the best record in the National League. 

"I'm really proud of our group," Derek Shelton said. "We're running out a really young group of players, bunch of rookies. To come into this environment and to do that, it's pretty special."

Not to mention rare. The Pirates hadn't swept the Dodgers on their turf since 2000. The Dodgers hadn't been swept in a three-game series since 2018. 

“Baseball’s a crazy game," Stratton said. "... I’m sure the Dodgers didn’t expect anything like this to happen.”

Afterwards, all the Dodgers could do was tip their caps.

"These guys played their tails off against us," Dodgers manager Davie Roberts said. "I thought they out-pitched us. Situationally, offensively, they were better than us. They made big plays on the defensive side that flipped innings and game situations."

Oh, there will be plenty more on that defense in a bit.

"We just didn't play well, and they did," Mookie Betts said.

"I thought they did a great job," Roberts said. "They really did."

They did it almost in different ways each game. On Monday, it was timely hitting and a ninth inning rally. On Tuesday, the pitching and bullpen carried the load. On Wednesday, it was the defense's turn.

"It's been a while," Bryan Reynolds said. "It feels great. Just a lot of good baseball this whole trip. To cap it off with this is awesome."

The sweep means the Pirates will finish the season 5-1 against the Dodgers, a World Series favorite coming into the year. Every one of those five had to be painstakingly earned.

"That’s a really tough lineup over there," Stratton said. "Kind of glad we’re done with them.”

GETTY

Bryan Reynolds, Tucupita Marcano and Cal Mitchell celebrate the Pirates' victory.

• The Pirates pulled off what will probably be their finest trio of plays to keep the Dodgers at bay when they were nursing slim leads.

First up: Diego Castillo in the third inning. After fielding a Betts grounder to his left, Kevin Pillar, the runner on second, thought Castillo would just throw onto first.

He didn't:

I asked Castillo if he had ever pulled off or practiced a play like that before:

“Never," Castillo told me before a big smile game across his face. "But I had in my mind."

Next up: Chavis and Hayes again in the sixth. Hanser Alberto grounded one to Hayes, who had to come in on the ball, pulling him away from the bag. Chris Taylor saw this and thought he could move up a bag.

He didn't:

Again, that was something that Pirates didn't practice, even if they could.

"For Key to make the play and Chavis to be aware because Chris didn’t pause," Shelton said. "It was a good baseball play. It had to be perfect throw on the backside. For Ke’ to get back and pick it and stay with the tag — watching the replay, he made a really good slide, he tried to slide by — it was just a head’s up baseball play."

"A lot going on in that play," Chavis joked.

The third, and the one that kept it a 3-2 game at the time, was from Reynolds. With Stratton inheriting a pair of runners in scoring position with one out in the seventh, Trea Turner lifted a fly ball to shallow center on the first pitch, and Gavin Lux tried to tag and score the tying run.

Once again, he didn't:

"A guy with Gavin’s speed, you’re going to run there," Shelton said. "I thought it was a good call. Bryan just made a nice throw."

MIx in four double-plays, and this was easily one of the Pirates' best defensive performances in recent memory.

"We played really well, and you have to play really well to beat a team of this caliber," Shelton said.

• Reynolds contributed on offense too, pulling his eighth homer of the season into the seats in right-center in the fifth.

It was a very solid road trip for Reynolds, who his three home runs and had a .240/.321/.680 slash line over 28 plate appearances.

I asked Reynolds if he was feeling something this trip with his swing. "Getting there," he responded.

The more intriguing homer was Rodolfo Castro possibly pulling a Bob Robertson, starting off his eighth inning at-bat by showing bunt before launching a mammoth home run down the line in left:

Shelton said he had taken the bunt sign off, but he, Castro and assistant hitting coach Christian Marrero had a conversation after Castro returned to the dugout.

Castro would add on a couple more insurance runs in the ninth with a two-out, two-run single.

• The bullpen picked up starter José Quintana, who was wilder than usual and needed to be pulled after 4 1/3 innings. Chase De Jong stranded a pair of runners in scoring position after inheriting them with one out in the fifth, as did Stratton in the seventh. Dillon Peters also stranded a runner in the sixth.

"We got out of big jams," Shelton said. "I give Chase a ton of credit. I don’t think he had pitched in seven days. To come into this environment and to be able to execute and he got through both the Turners there, which was crucial for us. And then Strat, second day in a row, four of five, to be able to come in, get the one pitch, then go back out and execute, he threw the ball really well the last two days."

The only damage the Dodgers did against the relievers was a two-out, ninth inning homer by Betts off Anthony Banda that didn't amount to anything.

• Some injury news to go through:

Pitching: Heath Hembree (right calf) is advancing through a side progression and the intention is to have him throw live batting practice by week's end... Nick Mears (elbow) is continuing his rehab assignment and is on pace to advance to Class AAA Indianapolis.,, Blake Cederlind (Tommy John) is coming off the PRP injection and healing. He's resumed some light plyometric activities in preparation of resuming throwing early next week.

Hitters: Greg Allen (hamstring) continues his rehab in Florida... Ben Gamel (hamstring) will resume light baseball activities later this week with the intention of beginning a running progression next week... Kevin Newman (groin) has resumed baseball activities with he goal of re-initiating a running progression by the end of the week... Yoshi Tsutsugo (muscle strain) has not resumed any baseball activities yet... Daniel Vogelbach (hamstring) took on field batting practice and ran Wednesday.

Prospects: Nick Gonzales took an incorrect step in his game Tuesday and has a minor heal injury. He may miss a couple days... Oneil Cruz (ankle sprain) is available for light duties... Henry Daivs (wrist) has resumed all baseball activities. His rehab may be transferred to Florida to get more specific hitting drills done... Quinn Priester (oblique) had no hiccups after his live batting practice this week. He'll return to affiliated ball, as director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk put it "sooner than later."

And one from the game Wednesday: Josh VanMeter was removed with left hand discomfort. He is considered day-to-day.

• "We're a good f---ing team, and we believe it."

• Hey, this was a really fun series to cover. Yinz were a big reason why. Every live file had over 600 comments (over 1,900 in total) despite the late night starts.

Thanks for following along.

THE ESSENTIALS

• Boxscore
• Live file
• Standings
• Statistics
• Schedule
• Scoreboard

THE HIGHLIGHTS

THE INJURIES

• 10-day injured list: OF Ben Gamel (hamstring), RHP Heath Hembree (calf), OF Jake Marisnick (thumb), 1B Yoshi Tsutsugo (lumbar muscle strain), Daniel Vogelbach (hamstring)

• 60-day injured list: OF Greg Allen (hamstring), RHP Blake Cederlind (UCL), RHP Nick Mears (elbow surgery), Kevin Newman (groin), Roberto Pérez (hamstring, out for season)

THE LINEUPS

Shelton's card:

1. Ke'Bryan Hayes, 3B
2. Bryan Reynolds, CF
3. Michael Chavis, 1B
4. Josh VanMeter, 2B
5. Diego Castillo, SS
6. Cal Mitchell, RF
7. Yu Chang, DH
8. Tucupita Marcano, LF
9. Tyler Heineman, C

And for Dave Roberts' Dodgers:

1. Mookie Betts, RF
2. Freddie Freeman, 1B
3. Trea Turner, SS
4. Justin Turner, 3B
5. Chris Taylor, CF
6. Hanser Alberto, 3B
7. Austin Barnes, C
8. Kevin Pillar, LF
9. Gavin Lux, 2B

THE SCHEDULE

The Pirates get a day off Thursday before starting a five-game homestand Friday. JT Brubaker (0-4, 4.15) will try to get into the win column against Merrill Kelly (3-3, 3.67) and the Diamondbacks. DK and the new guy, Chris Halicke, will have you covered.

THE CONTENT

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