PNC PARK Los Angeles finishes sweep of Pirates with 6-2 victory

The Bucs are a woeful 4-11 at home.
PITTSBURGH (AP) -- The Los Angeles Dodgers have one problem with the unbalanced NL schedule that features numerous games against divisional opponents and relatively few against out-of-division teams.
They make only one trip a season to Pittsburgh.
The Pirates still haven't figured out how to win in Pittsburgh -- they're 4-11 at home this season -- but that isn't a problem for the Dodgers.
The Dodgers finished off a three-game sweep in PNC Park with a 6-2 victory Sunday led by Cesar Izturis' three hits, Mike Kinkade's solo homer and Shawn Green's two-run double.
"I don't know why, but I just feel comfortable in this stadium," said Adrian Beltre, who ignored a sore elbow to contribute a run-scoring double. "You can see the ball real well here."
Evaporating leads
What the Pirates mostly see against the Dodgers are disappearing leads.
The Pirates were ahead in all three games, only to watch as the Dodgers repeatedly worked over what usually is one of the NL's most reliable bullpens.
On Friday, Mike Williams couldn't preserve a lead in the ninth as the Dodgers rallied to win 5-2.
On Saturday, Green hit a tie-breaking homer in the eighth off Scott Sauerbeck as the Dodgers won 4-3.
On Sunday, the light-hitting Izturis delivered a go-ahead RBI single in the seventh off starter Jeff Suppan (4-1) ahead of Kinkade's homer, also off Sauerbeck, and Green's double in the ninth off Joe Beimel.
Surprise slugger
Izturis came into the game with a .207 average and only two RBIs in 82 at-bats, but went 3-for-4 and scored twice.
"We showed a lot of signs this weekend of the club we're capable of being," manager Jim Tracy said. "The offense? We had just enough of it for the pitching staff we have. When you're behind two runs with six outs to go, that's a lot of runs to score against our bullpen."
Dodgers relievers combined for seven scoreless innings in the series. Eric Gagne earned saves in the first two games. Troy Brohawn got the victory Friday and pitched a scoreless ninth Sunday in a non-save situation.
"Our bullpen is our strength," Green said.
He wasn't saying that just to be diplomatic; the Dodgers' bullpen has allowed four runs in its last 50 1/3 innings, an 0.71 ERA.
"It's kind of like the movie 'Groundhog Day,' " Pirates manager Lloyd McClendon said. "We're saying the same things over and over every day. We're not getting the big hit when we need it."
Pokey Reese (3-for-4) and Jack Wilson (4-for-4), the top two batters in their order, combined for seven of Pittsburgh's nine hits. But the Pirates were 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position.