Right-hander Ross Ohlendorf is auditioning for a starting role in the Pirates rotation for next season. After coming off a rough start, where he allowed six earned runs on 10 hits over two-plus innings, Ohlendorf knew he needed to have a good outing to be considered in the organizations plans for 2012.
Not only was Ohlendorf impressive on the mound, but he also came through with the bat as well.
Ohlendorf allowed two runs on four hits over seven solid innings. He didn’t walk a batter and struck out six at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California on Thursday night.
Trailing the Dodgers 1-0 in the 2nd inning. Brandon Wood hit a RBI single to left field to score Ryan Doumit from third and to tie the game at 1. With runners on the corners and two outs, Ohlendorf came to the plate to face former Bucco Dana Eveland.
Ohlendorf took the first pitch for an opposite field three-run homer. Not only was it his first Major League home run it was his first RBI as well. Prior to his homer, Ohlendorf was just 7-for-100 in his career at the plate with no extra-base hits.
It was at that point the Pirates took a 4-1 lead, and never looked back as they went on to beat the Dodgers 6-2 at Chavez Ravine in game one of the four-game set.
The two lone runs that Ohlendorf allowed came in the 1st and the 5th inning. Justin Sellers hit a ground rule double to score Dee Gordon from second base and Russell Mitchell hit a solo-homer to left center field.
The bullpen, which consisted of Jason Grilli, Evan Meek and Joel Hanrahan, held the Dodgers to just two hits over two scoreless innings. Hanrahan picked up his 38th save of the season.
The Bucs plated two runs off reliever Blake Hawksworth in the 8th inning. Doumit hit a RBI double to score Derrek Lee. Doumit, who went 2-for-4 on the night, is batting .563 in four games against Los Angeles this season. Ryan Ludwick hit a RBI single to score the second run of the inning in the 6-2 win.
Rookie lefty Jeff Locke will make his second Major League start on Friday against the Dodgers Hiroki Kuroda at 10:10 PM ET.
Photo credit: Yahoo! Sports
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