Shohei Ohtani Scores as Dodgers Sweep 4-0

Shohei Ohtani did not need a hit to start the Dodgers' Sunday. He worked an 11-pitch leadoff walk against Lake Bachar, stole second, went to third on Freddie Freeman's single, and scored when Mookie Betts grounded into a double play. Los Angeles beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 4-0 at Dodger Stadium, finished a three-game sweep, and won its sixth straight. MLB.com, True Blue LA, and Dodgersbeat all had the first-inning sequence. StatMuse listed Ohtani 0-for-3 with a run, a walk, a steal, and a strikeout.

True Blue LA called it his longest plate appearance of the season. Dodgersbeat said it was his longest at-bat in two years. Either way, Bachar was already in the stretch before a ball had been put in play. The Dodgers never trailed. They are the second team in the majors to 80 wins, joining Milwaukee, MLB.com wrote. Before this streak they had lost 11 of 16. Dave Roberts liked the clean game. "I thought the defense was way better, baserunning better. There were no mental mistakes," he said, per MLB.com.

Shohei Ohtani's 11-pitch walk, and Snell's six scoreless

Blake Snell made the 1-0 lead hold. He threw six shutout innings, two hits, three walks, six strikeouts, MLB.com and True Blue LA both had the line. He is 2-1. Since he came off the injured list he has gone six innings in all three starts and allowed two earned runs total. He still hated the two-out walks. "It's not acceptable," Snell said, per MLB.com. "I feel good, I know I can command the ball. Honestly, it's lazy. It's me trying to get strikeouts instead of trying to go seven, eight, nine."

The rest of the runs came from the bottom. Alek Thomas and Hunter Feduccia hit back-to-back RBI singles in the fourth. Max Muncy added a run-scoring groundout in the fifth. Edgardo Henriquez threw a perfect seventh and struck out Spencer Horwitz and Oneil Cruz. Brock Stewart needed six pitches in the eighth. Alex Vesia walked Brandon Lowe to start the ninth, threw 25 pitches, and still closed it for his fourth save, Dodgersbeat sequenced. The Pirates had two runners in scoring position all afternoon, MLB.com noted.

Sweep, six in a row, and the rotation still loading

Yoshinobu Yamamoto went 6 1/3 and two runs on Friday. Tarik Skubal struck out 11 in seven innings for his first win as a Dodger on Saturday. Snell finished the weekend. Tyler Glasnow is due Tuesday. Ohtani the pitcher is "not long behind," MLB.com wrote. The 3.48 starter ERA is tied with Milwaukee for third in the majors. Roberts wants this version of the club against Atlanta next. "From our standpoint, you feel like you can keep sustaining this run that we're on right now."

Ohtani's Sunday was a DH line, not a mound line: walk, steal, run, 0-for-3. The hit column stayed empty. The scoreboard did not. Sunday's other leftovers already on the board were Kyle Schwarber's 6-4 walk-off in Philadelphia and Jazz Chisholm's two-run homer in an 8-3 Yankees win. Los Angeles answered with a shutout and a leadoff grind from the most watched 0-for-3 in the building.

Shohei Ohtani FAQ

What did Shohei Ohtani do vs the Pirates? He walked on 11 pitches to lead off, stole second, and scored the first run of a 4-0 win, per MLB.com, True Blue LA, and Dodgersbeat. StatMuse had him 0-for-3 with a walk, a steal, a run, and a strikeout.

What was the Dodgers vs Pirates final score on Aug. 23? Los Angeles 4, Pittsburgh 0. The Dodgers swept the series and won their sixth straight. Snell went six scoreless. Vesia saved it.

Did Shohei Ohtani pitch Sunday? No. He was the DH. MLB.com said Glasnow is expected Tuesday and Ohtani the pitcher is not far behind.