Blake Snell and Dodgers sweep Pirates for their

On a steamy Sunday when everybody in the Dodger Stadium seats was utilizing applications to fan themselves, Blake Snell was fanning Pittsburgh Pirates — six strikeouts in six innings of work — and the underside of the order performed just like the top of the lineup, offering ample offensive spark for a 4-0 victory that stretched the Dodgers’ successful streak to six video games.

What a weekend for Dodger pitchers — Yoshinobu Yamamoto adopted by Tarik Skubal adopted by Snell, with Tyler Glasnow on deck and Shohei Ohtani getting more healthy by the day and scheduled to throw a bullpen session during the upcoming collection in Atlanta.

“It’s daunting,” said Dodgers supervisor Dave Roberts, barely suppressing a smile. “As an offense — an opposing offense — to look at the probables you see Glasnow, Yamamoto, Snell, [Roki] Sasaki, and then potentially Shohei. It gets daunting.”

Come October, Dodger Stadium might be a daunted home.

In the meantime, the crew is coming off back-to-back sweeps of the Colorado Rockies and Pirates (63-69), who mustered two hits Sunday after a mixed 14 in the first two video games of the collection.

For his half, Snell was comfortable but not thrilled about his efficiency, which included three walks and one hit batter.

“There were a couple innings there where, you know, get two quick outs and then full-count walk, full-count walk,” he said. “It’s not acceptable. Especially with, I feel good, I know I can command the ball. Honestly, it’s lazy. It’s me trying to get strikeouts instead of, you know, trying to go seven, eight, nine. So I definitely got to clean that up. But I know I’m going to do that, and just continue to get better, and learn, and grow.”

Yamamoto, Skubal and Snell mixed for 26 strikeouts, 5 walks and 5 earned runs in 19 innings.

“It’s going to be a lot of good competition within the starting rotation,” Snell said. “I’m really excited about it. I mean, being able to watch some of the best pitchers in the game and learn from them — their mentality, the way they attack — having those conversations are very big. I’m definitely grateful to be on the same team, but a lot to learn.”

At the plate, the Dodgers (80-51) bought some welcome help from the underside of the order. Center fielder Alek Thomas and catcher Hunter Feduccia — replacements for injured All-Stars Andy Pages and Will Smith — drove in runs with consecutive singles in the fourth. That turned a acquainted one-run sport, of which the Dodgers have had a lot currently, into a leisurely Sunday stroll.

Before the sport, Roberts expressed some concern that while Thomas might deal with all the defensive obligations of Pages, there may be a drop-off in hitting. But that hasn’t been a fear so far, as Thomas had key hits on both Saturday and Sunday.

“Definitely feels good,” said Thomas, previously of the Arizona Diamondbacks. “Coming here, I played against the Dodgers my whole career, grew up not really liking the team, whatever. And coming over here, it feels good to be on a side that wins a lot and has fun.”

No need to remind Kyle Tucker. The huge-money outfielder has been one of the more compelling tales this season. He got here into the weekend hitting .189 at Dodger Stadium, and he had gone 0 for 19 in his last homestand. That futility was beginning to spill over to his protection, too, as he dropped a routine foul ball in entrance of a crowd whose endurance had long since worn skinny.

Dodgers reliever Alex Vesia celebrates with catcher Hunter Feduccia after the ultimate out of a 4-0 win over the Pirates on Sunday.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

But on Friday night time, there was a concerted effort by Dodgers followers to cheer him loudly every time he stepped to the plate, in hopes of lifting him out of the ditch. Three years in the past, followers of the Philadelphia Phillies famously buoyed the spirits of underperforming shortstop Trea Turner by giving him the same type of standing ovation.

Did it work for Tucker? He had the successful hit Saturday, a two-run single in the fifth, and Sunday had a hit and scored a run.

“I feel good this weekend, just the contribution in this game,” he said. “It was great, we got a sweep so can’t complain too much about that.

“I’ve had some good at-bats, a couple barrels. Even [Saturday], a couple balls hit harder, they just didn’t find good spots. But that happens sometimes. Just trying to put together good at-bats, get guys over, man.”

Ohtani’s pitching timeline

Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani, proper, beats the tag of Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Jared Triolo to steal second base in the first inning Sunday.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Ohtani is on the mend from a left knee injury and might be prepared to return to the pitching rotation soon.

Ohtani threw 30 pitches in a live batting-practice session Saturday at Dodger Stadium, marking his first time dealing with hitters since his last start on July 3. Roberts said that outing places him in place to return to motion soon.

The right-hander is scheduled to throw a bullpen session during the upcoming collection at Atlanta, and the Dodgers will then resolve whether or not he’s prepared to rejoin the rotation or wants to throw more live batting observe. Roberts said there’s a risk Ohtani might return as soon as the first week of September.

Last yr, when Ohtani was returning from a second profession Tommy John surgical procedure, the Dodgers eased him into pitching slowly, beginning with one inning and then including an inning each look. Apparently, the crew gained’t be fairly as cautious this time.

“I would say it’d be a little bit more aggressive,” Roberts said.

Asked if that might imply, theoretically, the Ohtani might construct up to 5 innings by the end of the season, the supervisor said: “In theory, yes.”