The Dodgers just wrapped up a perfect week, shutting out the Pittsburgh Pirates 4-0 on Sunday and extending their winning streak to a blistering six games. This dominant performance completed a three-game sweep, showing everyone they mean business. What a way to close out the season series against the Pirates, finishing 5-1 against them, their best record since sweeping all six matchups back in 2021!
Offense Finds Ways to Score Early
Talk about starting things off right. Shohei Ohtani kicked things off with an 11-pitch leadoff walk against reliever Lake Bachar, the longest plate appearance he’s had all season. Freddie Freeman immediately put runners on the corners, and even though Mookie Betts grounded into a double play, Ohtani still crossed the plate to give them that early 1-0 lead. It went quiet for a bit, but then the fourth inning came alive against Carmen Mlodzinski. Tommy Edman got plunked, then Kyle Tucker singled, putting two guys on. Teoscar Hernández struck out looking, wasting their final ABS challenge, but Alek Thomas picked him up with an RBI single, knocking home Edman. That’s two games in a row for Thomas with an RBI single in the fourth, you love to see it! Hunter Feduccia kept the rally going with an RBI single to bring home Tucker, pushing the lead to three runs. Then, in the fifth, Max Muncy added another with an RBI groundout. Getting just one run was enough on a day like this, but they kept pushing.
Blake Snell Is Absolutely Dealing
But let’s be real, Blake Snell was the star of the show. The guy was nearly unhittable after wriggling out of a first-inning jam. He gave up a one-out single to Spencer Horwitz in the top of the second, and that was it. That was the *only* hit the Pirates managed against him for the rest of his outing. Command late in innings became a recurring thing, sure, with him giving up a two-out walk in three consecutive frames. But when it counted in his final inning, he retired the side in order, punching out two guys. This dude has been lights out in all three of his starts since coming back from injury, logging a quality start in each. This scoreless gem on Sunday? It’s his first time not allowing a run in the regular season since he threw that 12-strikeout masterpiece against the Phillies last September. His ERA over his last 18 innings is now a ridiculous 1.00, with 21 strikeouts and just seven walks. Both offenses kinda chilled out after that, with Pittsburgh going 0-13 over their final 4 1/3 innings and only one baserunner. The Dodgers had just one baserunner in the final four innings as well, an Edman walk in the eighth. But who cares when you get a 4-0 shutout?
This 4-0 victory marks their first shutout of the second half, the first since they blanked the Padres 3-0 back on July 4. With Snell absolutely carving up hitters and the offense finding ways to get those critical runs, this team is on a serious roll. You gotta wonder how long they can keep this six-game winning streak alive, especially with Snell pitching like he’s on a mission. What a vibe!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by True Blue LA.
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