After a three-hour rain delay at PNC Park in downtown Pittsburgh on Saturday night, the Dodgers pounded the NL Central third place Pirates by a score of 7-2 and are now not only one win away from sweeping them in the current three-game series, but also one win away from sweeping them this season, having won all five of their six scheduled meetings thus far.

But the real story on Saturday night wasn’t the rain delay or the win itself, but rather how the Dodgers won.

In a single word, one which prompted a variety of clever responses on Twitter regarding a popular Southern California-based hamburger chain (In-N-Out) known for their signature double-double hamburgers, it was ‘doubles’ night along the banks of the Allegheny, Ohio, and Monongahela Rivers – eight of them to be exact – to tie a Los Angeles Dodgers record set on July 2, 1978 against the Cincinnati Reds at Riverfront Stadium. Seven of the two-baggers were off of Pirates right-handed starter Joe Musgrove and the eighth off of right-handed reliever Rookie Davis (that’s his legit name).

The Dodgers record-tying eight doubles were as follows:

1. Joc Pederson – 1st inning off Musgrove
2. Alex Verdugo – 2nd inning off Musgrove
3. Max Muncy – 3rd inning off Musgrove
4. Hyun-Jin Ryu – 4th inning off Musgrove
5. Max Muncy – 5th inning off Musgrove*
6. Corey Seager – 5th inning off Musgrove*
7. Cody Bellinger – 5th inning off Musgrove*
8. Chris Taylor – 6th inning off David

(* back to back to back)

That fourth double, the one hit by Dodgers left-hander Hyun-Jin Ryu, is not a typo. In fact, the extremely popular Incheon, South Korea native and MLB’s current best pitcher missed a home run by inches.

Speaking of Ryu, on the mound the 6′-3″ / 255-pound lefty limited the Bucs to two runs on 10 hits while striking out three and walking none. And even though Ryu’s scoreless innings streak was snapped at 32, he told reporters after the game that the streak, although nice, wasn’t that big of a deal to him.

“I wasn’t really thinking about the streak to begin with,” Ryu said through an interpreter. “So when I did give up that run, I wasn’t feeling really anything except for the fact that, as a starting pitcher, your job is to make sure that your team is in a position where it can win.”

Win it did, to push Ryu’s record to a team-best 6-1 with a MLB-best 1.52 ERA.

“I’m happy for him. I’m proud of him,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said after the game. “He’s gone through a lot these last few years, and I know that nothing makes him more happy than to be active and competing.

“I didn’t think too much about the streak … He’s just pitching well,” Roberts added. “For him to stay healthy, good things are going to happen for him and for us.”

Worthy of mention is an absolutely spectacular leaping catch made by Bellinger at the wall in right field in the bottom of the sixth inning to rob Pirates right fielder Jake Elmore of an extra base hit and a RBI.

Weather permitting (and it doesn’t look promising), the Dodgers hope to complete the series and season sweep of the Pirates on Sunday afternoon before returning home to Dodger Stadium, where they will open a four-game series against the New York Mets, followed by three against the Philadelphia Phillies.

Play Ball!

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