Blake Snell shines for 3rd straight start, Dodgers extend winning streak to 6 by sweeping Pirates

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Blake Snell threw six scoreless innings and the Los Angeles Dodgers won their sixth straight game by easing past the Pittsburgh Pirates 4-0 on Sunday.

Snell (2-1) has won consecutive starts and the Dodgers have been victorious in each of his three appearances in August after missing three months because of surgery to remove loose bodies in his left elbow. He allowed two hits and three walks on a sweltering afternoon at Dodger Stadium, but still had enough to end his outing with a 97 mph fastball for his sixth strike out.

Alek Thomas, Hunter Feduccia and Max Muncy had an RBI for the Dodgers, who have bounced back since manager Dave Roberts called them out for sustained inconsistent play a week ago.

The Pirates have dropped eight of their past nine road games. Lake Bachar (1-3) started a bullpen game and allowed one run in two innings, and Carmen Mlodzinski gave up three runs in three innings.

Shohei Ohtani put the Dodgers ahead 1-0 after drawing a leadoff walk on 11 pitches despite falling behind 0-2 in the count.

Thomas and Feduccia extended the lead with consecutive two-out RBI singles in the fourth inning.

It was the second hit and second RBI in five games with the Dodgers for Thomas, who was acquired from Arizona in a trade in May. He is starting in center field for the time being after All-Star Andy Pages fractured his left hand on a hit by pitch Friday.

Pirates: RHP Braxton Ashcraft (13-5, 3.68 ERA) will be on the mound to start a three-game series at the San Diego Padres on Monday night.

Dodgers: RHP Tyler Glasnow (3-0, 2.72 ERA) is set to take the opener of a three-game series at the Atlanta Braves on Tuesday night. Glasnow has not pitched since May 6 because of back spasms.

___

See AP’s full MLB coverage here