Dodgers Shutout by Paul Skenes and Co.

The Los Angeles Dodgers returned home after a five-game road trip, during which the team went 2-3, following a two-game mini-sweep by the Chicago Cubs. In came the Pittsburgh Pirates, backed by phenom Paul Skenes taking the bump for the team. The Pirates were riding off a series win over the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. This one was set to be a pitcher's duel between two Cy Young candidates, Skenes and Dodgers starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto.

Both Yamamoto and Skenes have ranked in the top five in terms of ERA since the 2024 season, entering the game with a minimum of 23 games started. Yamamoto had a 2.50 ERA, while Skenes had a 2.14 ERA. In his last start at home against the Cubs, Yamamoto pitched six innings and struck out nine. He also bolstered his Cy Young case in his next start, striking out 10 Texas Rangers en route to his third victory of the year. 

Things were not off to an ideal start for Yamamoto, as the Pirates’ offense worked him thoroughly. Oneil Cruz led off the first inning with a single, then stole his 12th base of the year, putting himself in scoring position immediately. With two outs, Enmanuel Valdez knocked in Cruz, getting the Pirates on the board early. Yamamoto finished the inning with a strikeout, but his pitch count had already reached 32. 

Skenes silenced the Dodgers’ big three in order in the first inning, with Ohtani nearly hitting one out of the ballpark. Things settled down with the Dodgers mustering up just three hits within the first four innings. Freddie Freeman put the Dodgers’ offense in business with a leadoff double in the fourth inning, and an error in the outfield put him at third with no outs. Primed with an opportunity to tie or take the lead, the Dodgers fumbled the chance, as the next three batters were all retired, ending the threat. 

The Pirates took full advantage of the momentum swing, scoring two runs to put themselves up 3-0. Cruz and Ke’Bryan Hayes each knocked in an RBI single. Yamamoto’s day was done after the fifth, where he struck out five, allowed five hits, and walked four. Coming into the start, Yamamoto had allowed just four earned runs in total in his first five starts; after tonight’s appearance, he allowed three earned runs. The Dodgers were unable to respond after Andy Pages hit his second double of the night in the bottom half of the inning. Pages moved to a perfect 4-4 in his career against Skenes.

Speaking of Skenes, his day was done after 6.1 innings, where he struck out a season-high of nine batters, while allowing five hits. He also threw 108 pitches, which marked a season-high. The Dodgers’ offense continued to struggle following Skenes’ departure. The Dodgers' hopes were looking bleak after scoring a total of 16 runs in their two-game set against the Cubs. 

It was not the Dodgers’ night. After a Tommy Edman one-out walk in the ninth, the following two batters were set down on strikes. With the loss, the Dodgers earned themselves their third straight loss, with this being the second three-game losing streak of the year. This loss also marked the Dodgers being shutout for a second time this year. It’ll be another solid pitching matchup in tomorrow’s game with Roki Sasaki taking the mound for the Dodgers, while Mitch Keller gets the start for the Pirates.