LOS ANGELES -- Josh Palacios sought out Andy Haines in the Dodger Stadium visitor's dugout Tuesday. He wanted to talk to the Pirates' hitting coach about the Dodgers closer, Evan Phillips. What he was throwing, where was he coming in with his pitches. Anything to prepare for his ninth inning pinch-hit at-bat. It was going to be a huge at-bat, and he was coming in cold.
But come on, a big at-bat in a tie game and a couple ducks on the pond? That is what Palacios lives for.
"When you get the call in a situation like that, it's always kind of comforting for me because they trust me in that position," Palacios said. "That's what you play the game for."
The Pirates' young outfielder came through, as he fisted off a cutter up and dropped it to left for a go-ahead double to give the Pirates the lead:
That would cap a back-and-forth battle with the Dodgers, completing the team's third ninth-inning comeback of the season -- all of which have come in the team's last 10 games -- to give the Pirates a 9-7 victory.
Maybe it was because it was the Dodgers. Maybe because it was the Fourth of July. Maybe it was because they just needed a win like that.
But as I prepared to ask Derek Shelton what a win like this meant for this club, it was already being answered in the clubhouse, as a rambunctious group was still making noise and celebrating.
"It's a big win," Shelton answered. "We're talking about one of the best teams in baseball and we had to battle back the entire game. We were down the entire game and continued to battle back on the fourth of July at Dodger Stadium for four or five guys that were in Indy about two weeks ago. Really proud of them because they just kept going."
That win marks No. 40 on the Pirates' season and their 20th in comeback fashion. And they had to come back plenty in this one, erasing three deficits on the night, mainly due to a subpar start from Luis Ortiz, who allowed three home runs and six runs before being pulled in the fourth inning. But after each home run, the Pirates would respond and chip away.
"We've got a resilient group," Palacios said. "These guys battled, and it's always great when the battle pays off. We just keep moving forward, keep battling, we'll do some good things."
Tied at six in the bottom of the eighth, the Dodgers appeared to put the Pirates away when Angel Perdomo surrendered a go-ahead shot in the bottom of the eighth to Jonny Deluca, the first of his major-league career. Now down 7-6, that's how most games would have ended for the Pirates these past two months.
Instead, it was the young players who provided another spark. Jack Suwinski and Nick Gonzales drew one-out walks against Phillips before Jared Triolo -- who was promoted to the majors a week ago and had struck out three times already that night -- lined a game-tying single to center:
That's called a rookie keeping his head up during a long night.
"Just kind of realizing they got me off my approach a little bit in the earlier at-bats and going out there and staying stubborn to it," Triolo said. "That's kind of what did it."
"He’s a ballplayer," Gonzales, who had three hits on the night, said. "You’ll never know if he’s having an 0-for-5 or 5-for-5 day. When he comes up for that sixth at-bat, he’ll be ready, and that’s what he did today."
All three of the Pirates' rookies -- Gonzales, Triolo and Henry Davis -- picked up an RBI hit in the game, not to mention other young players like Suwinski and Palacios also coming through. Ideally, it's a taste of what's to come with the Pirates.
"Obviously, when you come up in the minor leagues, they're just preparing you for this moment," Triolo said. "We talked about it. We'd go home, we're roommates. We were roommates in Indianapolis and a little bit in Altoona, talking about it all the time and just being ready for this. It's sweet."
"They just continue to impress," Shelton said about the kids. "They have good swings, they're having good at-bats and it's really cool to see actually."
David Bednar entered in the bottom of the eighth to finish of the inning since Perdomo was removed before facing the top of the order. So rather than being in the bullpen as usual, he was pacing the tunnels, in his own world trying to stay loose. When he heard cheering from the dugout, he knew he had another inning to pitch. He put two runners on base, but completed that frame without much drama.
A joyful postgame clubhouse commences, and those I.C. Lights Bednar got earlier in the day for being named an All-Star became in serious danger.
It may be just one of 162, but for a team with a grueling road trip just before the end of the first half of the season, these are big games in determining if the Pirates will enter the second half in contention for a playoff spot. A comeback win against a club like the Dodgers on their home turf certainly sends a message.
"It proves that we belong and we’re a good team as well," Bednar said. "Whenever you play like that and you win those tight ballgames and you figure out a way to win those, that’s big for us."

GETTY
The American Flag is held by members of the U.S. military before the game.
THE ESSENTIALS
• Boxscore
• Live file
• Standings
• Statistics
• Schedule
• Scoreboard
THE HIGHLIGHTS
THE INJURIES
• 10-day injured list: 3B Ke'Bryan Hayes (back), 2B Ji Hwan Bae (ankle)
• 15-day injured list: LHP Jose Hernandez (calf), LHP Rob Zastryzny (forearm)
• 60-day injured list: SS Oneil Cruz (ankle), 1B Ji-Man Choi (Achilles), RHP Wil Crowe (shoulder), RHP JT Brubaker (elbow), LHP Jarlin Garcia (elbow), RHP Max Kranick (elbow), RHP Vince Velasquez (elbow)
THE LINEUPS
Shelton's card:
1. Andrew McCutchen, DH
2. Bryan Reynolds, LF
3. Henry Davis, RF
4. Carlos Santana, 1B
5. Jack Suwinski, CF
6. Nick Gonzales, SS
7. Jared Triolo, 3B
8. Rodolfo Castro, 2B
9. Austin Hedges, C
And for Dave Robert's Dodgers:
1. Mookie Betts, 2B
2. Freddie Freeman, 1B
3. Will Smith, C
4. Max Muncy, 3B
5. J.D. Martinez, DH
6. David Peralta, LF
7. Jason Heyward, RF
8. James Outman, CF
9. Miguel Rojas, SS
THE SCHEDULE
Osvaldo Bido (0-1, 4.74) will take the bump Wednesday against Bobby Miller (4-1, 4.23). First pitch is set for 10:10 p.m. Eastern. I'll have you covered.
THE MULTIMEDIA
THE CONTENT
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