Baseball’s challenge system does Dodgers no favors in 6-5 loss to the Pirates.

PITTSBURGH — The Pirates initiated three challenges in their 6-5 win over the Dodgers on Saturday and won them all. The Dodgers challenged one call on the field and lost.

In a one-run game, that mattered a lot.

Don Mattingly has never shied away from suggesting changes to the replay system this season, particularly when calls go against the Dodgers and the manager gets on a roll. That’s happened a few times. The Dodgers are 10-19 on challenges this season.

The last of the four challenged calls saw Yasiel Puig called out at first base [the video is here] with one out in the ninth inning and Howie Kendrick at second base. He was originally ruled safe by first base umpire Mark Wegner because Pirates first baseman Sean Rodriguez briefly lifted his foot off the bag to catch the throw from third baseman Jung-Ho Kang.

Mattingly reiterated some familiar talking points after this game using a new tact: sarcasm.

Added catcher A.J. Ellis, “they’re going to see what they see. It’s one of those things, every time you watch a challenge you’re so biased toward your own team coming out on top. You look up there and go, ‘there’s daylight there!’ or ‘he tagged him on that right there.’ Both dugouts are probably thinking we’re going to get this call right most of the time, especially most of the really tight ones. It was disheartening to see it go through.”

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About J.P. Hoornstra

J.P. Hoornstra covers the Dodgers, Angels and Major League Baseball for the Orange County Register, Los Angeles Daily News, Long Beach Press-Telegram, Torrance Daily Breeze, San Gabriel Valley Tribune, Pasadena Star-News, San Bernardino Sun, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin, Whittier Daily News and Redlands Daily Facts. Before taking the beat in 2012, J.P. covered the NHL for four years. UCLA gave him a degree once upon a time; when he graduated on schedule, he missed getting Arnold Schwarzenegger's autograph on his diploma by five months.