Hyun-Jin Ryu continues road warrior routine in 5-2 win over Pirates

Home may be where the heart is, but for Hyun-Jin Ryu the road is where the victories wait.

Ryu made his first start of the second half Monday and made himself all at home and cozy in Pittsburgh’s PNC Park, pitching the Dodgers to a 5-2 victory over the Pirates.

The win pushed Ryu’s record to 7-2 on the road with a 2.73 earned-run average. Back at home this season, he’s a more pedestrian 4-3 with a 4.13 ERA.

The Dodgers backed him with a 12-hit attack, though they scored all their runs in the third and fourth innings and then sort of held on.

That’s easier to do when getting a strong start from Ryu (11-5), who gave up only five hits – three coming in the Pirates’ two-run fourth inning. Ryu struck out five and walked one in lowering his overall ERA to 3.39.

Adrian Gonzalez, who had the game-winning RBI on Sunday against the St. Louis Cardinals, came back Monday to get on base five times. He went three for three with a pair of doubles off the wall, two walks and an RBI.

Dee Gordon, Justin Turner and Juan Uribe each had two hits for the Dodgers.

The Dodgers scored all five runs off former teammate Edinson Volquez (8-7). Volquez was one of their midseason projects last season, but he went 0-2 with a 4.18 ERA in six games. It wasn’t enough for them to try to bring him back, but it was enough for him to get a one-year, $5-million deal with the Pirates.

He’s been pitching reasonably well for Pittsburgh this season, but the Dodgers got to him for a pair of runs in the third inning. Gordon led off with a single but was erased on a force out on a Turner ground out. Gonzalez walked and then Matt Kemp doubled in the Dodgers’ first run. Gonzalez scored on an Andre Ethier ground out.

The Dodgers pushed their lead to 5-0 in the fourth, this time Uribe and A.J. Ellis leading off with singles. Turner doubled in two runs and Gonzalez singled to score Turner.

Brian Wilson and J.P. Howell held the Pirates scoreless in the eighth before Kenley Jansen came on to earn his 29th save. Howell has not given up a run in his last 11 appearances (11 innings).