PITTSBURGH -- Pinch-hitter Pedro Alvarez lined a bases-loaded single over a five-man infield in the bottom of the 10th inning to give the Pittsburgh Pirates a 5-4 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday night.
The Pirates loaded the bases with no outs against Jim Johnson (2-4) as Jung Ho Kang walked, Francisco Cervelli singled and Sean Rodriguez had a bunt single.
Left-hander J.P. Howell relieved and manager Don Mattingly moved an outfielder into the infield but the left-handed hitting Alvarez singled into right field for the game-winning hit.
The Pirates won for the 13th time in their last 16 home games and improved to 37-18 at PNC Park this season. They are 12-2 against NL West teams.
Dodgers starter Clayton Kershaw had his streak of 37 consecutive scoreless innings end when Pirates right fielder Gregory Polanco hit his first pitch of the game for a home run.
This marked the first time the major league's win leader (Pittsburgh right-hander Gerrit Cole) faced the major league's strikeout leader (Kershaw) this late in a season since the Chicago White Sox's Wilbur Wood squared off against the California Angels' Nolan Ryan on Aug. 11, 1973, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
However, the pitching duel did not materialize.
Kershaw, who had won his previous four starts, gave up four runs and nine hits in six innings with two walks and five strikeouts.
Kershaw raised his season strikeout total to 197, leaving him three shy of a sixth straight season with at least 200.
Cole allowed three runs and four hits in six innings while striking out five and walking three. His record remained 14-5, though, and he has only one win in four starts since the All-Star break.
Cole pitched at least six innings for the 18th time in 22 starts this season -- the other four have been against Cincinnati. He has allowed three runs or fewer in all but one start.
Pittsburgh remained three games ahead of the Chicago Cubs in the NL wild card standings. Los Angeles stayed three games in front of the San Francisco Giants in the NL West.
Antonio Bastardo (4-1) pitched a scoreless 10th for his second win in as many games.
Polanco, Andrew McCutchen, Aramis Ramirez, Cervelli and Kang each had two of the Pirates' 14 hits.
Jimmy Rollins had three of the Dodgers' six hits and drove in two runs. Howie Kendrick had two hits, including a two-run infield single on which Rollins sprinted home from second base.
The Dodgers tied it 4-4 in the seventh inning when Rollins hit a two-out RBI double.
Kershaw had not allowed a run since July 5, against the New York Mets. The major league record is 59 innings, set by Orel Hershiser in 1988 with the Dodgers.
Polanco homered to lead off the bottom of the first for the second straight game, having connected off the Chicago Cubs' Dan Haren on Wednesday night. Polanco has six home runs this season.
The Pirates went ahead 4-3 with a two-run fifth inning. McCutchen hit an RBI double and scored on Ramirez's single.
Rollins put the Dodgers ahead 3-2 in the fifth with a one-out RBI single.
The Pirates pulled into a 2-2 tie in the fourth when Stewart drew a bases-loaded walk from Kershaw with two outs after the Dodgers had gone ahead on Kendrick's single in the third.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Dodgers: 3B Justin Turner (right thigh infection) began hitting off a tee and throwing Friday at the Camelback Ranch training complex in Glendale, Arizona, but he won't be ready to come off the DL next Tuesday when first eligible, as hoped. He likely will be activated later in the week.
Pirates: RHP Deolis Guerra (right knee inflammation) was placed on the 15-day DL, retroactive to July 31, after Major League Baseball rescinded a waiver claim by Cleveland because of the injury.
UP NEXT
Dodgers: RHP Mat Latos, who starts Saturday, is 5-1 with a 3.13 ERA against the Pirates in 12 career starts.
Pirates: LHP Francisco Liriano has won all three career starts against the Dodgers with a 1.37 ERA.