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Final: Dodgers 5, Pirates 2

Final: Dodgers 5, Pirates 2

PITTSBURGH -- It had been a long 11 days since Edinson Volquez last took the mound for a Pirates start when his turn in the rotation came back around Monday night.

The gap of time left him off-kilter as the L.A. Dodgers lined a season-high 10 hits off Volquez on the way to a 5-2 win at PNC Park to open a three game series.

Volquez had given up just three earned runs in his last four starts combined, but surrendered five runs in 5 2/3 innings on Monday in his first start after the All-Star break.

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“I think too many days between starts,” said Volquez. “It was really tough to pitch against a team like that. Everything was off today, wasn’t able to execute my breaking balls. It’s tough.”

The Pirates scratched out two runs in two-out a fourth inning burst, but were largely stymied by Dodgers left-hander Hyun-Jin Ryu.

Ryu won his third career game against the Pirates with a devastating curveball in the low to mid 70s that he coupled with a 90s fastball and cutter.

“He has command of all of his pitches which makes his curveball what it is. You can’t eliminate,” said Andrew McCutchen, the lone batter in the top of the order to get a hit off Ryu. “Changeup, cutter, fastball, whatever else he had, locating. That allows him to throw the curveball whenever he wants to.”

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Ryu put the club down in order in four of seven innings, holding the Pirates to just five hits.

The loss snaps a three-game win streak out of the All-Star break for the Pirates, who are now 55-46.

McCutchen went 2 for 4 with a single off Ryu and run scored, and another single off reliever Brian Wilson in the eighth.

Josh Harrison, batting leadoff, and Starling Marte, hitting second, each went 0 for 4. Gaby Sanchez, batting cleanup, went 0 for 3, and was replaced by Ike Davis in the eighth with McCutchen on base. Davis grounded out.

“We’re not the first club he’s limited hard contact against,” said manager Clint Hurdle. “Probably had the biggest breaking curveball that we’ve seen this year as far as depth. It was 13, 14, 15 inches of drop. So he could throw that from 71 to 74 (mph), the fastball at 92, 93. He’s covering 20 miles. Then he’s got a cutter. The guy’s got weapons, and he’s a cool cat on the mound.”

The Dodgers took a 2-0 lead in the third inning with an RBI double by Matt Kemp and RBI groundout by Andre Ethier then plated three more in the fourth.

Juan Uribe singled to open the fourth and took third when A.J. Ellis hit a grounder that ricocheted off second base and into the outfield to put runners on the corners.

From there, Justin Turner doubled in a pair of runs and scored on a single by Adrian Gonzalez.

“I believe the layoff, possibly could have lagged with him. I think if you look at all the other starts there’s been some traffic early in games that he’s been able to pitch through,” said Hurdle.

The Pirates chipped away at the lead in the bottom of the inning getting two runs on RBI singles by Russell Martin and Jordy Mercer with two outs.

Martin hit a flare single that scored McCutchen, and Mercer singled to right field scoring Neil Walker.

Volquez gave up a hit to Juan Uribe in the fifth, but stranded him on first, then came to the batter’s box to hit in the bottom of the inning.

Volquez finished his night in the sixth after 5 2/3, giving up five earned runs on 10 hits. He struck out three, walked three (one intentionally) and hit one batter.

Michael Martinez came up with a two-out single off Ryu in the seventh but was thrown out at second on a groundout by pinch hitter Travis Snider.

“It wasn't like he was throwing (his curve) for balls, he was throwing it for strikes,” said Harrison. “When you've got a guy who varies his speed like that and is throwing it in for a strike, you just gotta battle, gotta grind."

Ryu went seven innings, giving up five hits, two earned runs. He walked one and struck out five.

Martinez played a ball off the Clemente wall by Gonzalez in the first inning then turned and fired and Jordy Mercer applied the tag at second. Gonzalez was ruled safe, the Pirates challenged, but the ruling on the field stood.

Of Note: The Dodgers were without Yasiel Puig and Hanley Ramirez in the starting lineup on Monday. Both players were hit by pitches in the left hand over the weekend in a series against the St. Louis Cardinals.

Jenn Menendez: jmenendez@post-gazette.com and Twitter @JennMenendez

First Published: March 24, 2016, 5:08 p.m.

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