Dodgers lose Anderson, game, but keep pace in NL West

LOS ANGELES — Snakebit starter Brett Anderson’s return to the Dodgers was brief and bitter, as he allowed first-inning home runs to Jordy Mercer and Sean Rodriguez before leaving with a sprained left wrist in an 11-3 loss to the Pirates on Sunday.

Anderson, making his first start of the season after spring back surgery, could not take the mound for the second inning because of his latest injury, sustained while diving for Adam Frazier’s infield single in Pittsburgh’s five-run first inning. Mercer’s homer was a two-run shot, Rodriguez’s a three-run blast. Rodriguez finished the game with four RBIs and Josh Harrison had four hits for Pittsburgh.

Pirates starter Chad Kuhl (3-0) allowed a first-inning run on Josh Reddick’s first extra-base hit as a Dodger (a double) and Adrian Gonzalez’s RBI single. Joc Pederson homered in the fourth, his 18th.

MOMENTS THAT MATTEREDAll right: Pirates manager Clint Hurdle wrote out an entirely right-handed lineup against Anderson. The Dodgers starter only stayed in the game long enough to turn over the lineup one time, but that was enough for Pittsburgh to build a significant lead. Mercer hit his eighth home run to left, and Rodriguez ripped his 12th to right.

Hot bat, blinding sun: Reddick, whose Dodgers career began 0-for-15 and 2-for-27 at the plate, had two hits Sunday and is on a 6-for-16 streak. Defensively, however, Reddick lost a catchable ball in the sun for the …

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