The Dodgers closed out their homestand with a clean sweep of the Pirates, and they did it in the kind of July heat that makes every inning feel longer. The 4-0 win gave Los Angeles a season-high-tying six-game winning streak and pushed the club to 10 sweeps on the year, the most in the National League. It also marked the first time the Dodgers have swept back-to-back series since opening the 2025 season 8-0 with wins over the Chicago Cubs, Detroit Tigers and Atlanta Braves.
This one started with Shohei Ohtani setting the table. He drew a leadoff walk in the first, swiped second, and helped spark an early run when Freddie Freeman singled and Mookie Betts brought home a run despite grounding into a double play.
After that, the offense came from lower in the order. In the fourth, Tommy Edman was hit by a pitch, Kyle Tucker followed with a single, and Alek Thomas cashed it in with two outs for his second RBI in as many starts with the Dodgers.
Hunter Feduccia then added an RBI single to make it 3-0. In the fifth, Freeman and Betts again reached on base hits before Max Muncy lifted a fielder’s choice that brought in another run.
Blake Snell did the rest. The left-hander worked six scoreless innings, continuing the strong run he’s put together since coming off the 60-day injured list. He has now gone six innings in all three starts since being activated.
Snell wasn’t flawless, but he managed traffic and kept Pittsburgh from ever getting comfortable. He allowed just two hits, struck out six and leaned on his fastball to get through the day.
Pirates hitters went 0-for-10 with five strikeouts against his four-seam fastball. He also walked three and hit one batter, with all three walks coming with two outs.
The Pirates never managed to put up a crooked number, and Snell didn’t retire the side in order until the sixth.
The outing also marked a step forward against a team that has given him trouble. Snell entered the game 1-3 with a 7.27 ERA in six career starts against the Pirates. At PNC Park last season, he gave up five runs on nine hits in five innings.
The Dodgers now get Monday off before heading out on a six-game road trip that takes them to the Atlanta Braves and Detroit Tigers. Los Angeles still sits ahead of Atlanta for the No. 2 seed in the NL, the spot that would come with a first-round postseason bye. On the upcoming trip, Tarik Skubal is scheduled to face his former teammates on Friday.
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The fit is obvious enough from the Dodgers perspective, since they know exactly what the veteran utility type can and cannot provide. Arizona needs coverage with Ketel Marte on the 10-day injured list after knee inflammation, following a stretch on the restricted list, and Espinal gives them another option while they sort through the rest of the infield picture. [Read more 🡒]
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For the Dodgers, it was less about a simple apparel drop and more about a piece of local culture arriving in the middle of the season. The collections design language is built around Bryant and Los Angeles, which is why the reaction inside the room mattered, even in a short clip. It is the kind of crossover that resonates in this market, where basketball and baseball are always brushing up against each other, and where anything connected to Kobe tends to carry a little extra weight. [Read more 🡒]