Pirates third baseman Pedro Alvarez got the Pirates on the board early Thursday, in a 6-3 win over the Dodgers.
Alvarez had just one hit in the game, a solo home run in the second inning to tie the game, 1-1. He went 1 for 4 overall, with one strikeout in the win.
Alvarez is hitting .221 with 10 home runs on the season, but has been better since he was moved out of the cleanup spot of the order last week. In his last seven games, Alvarez is hitting .280 with two home runs and three RBI.