Shohei Ohtani hit his 40th home run of the season, and Blake Snell delivered 10 strikeouts over five scoreless innings. The Los Angeles Dodgers rolled to a 9–1 win over the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday night at Dodger Stadium. The Dodgers, who entered the game as -150 betting favorites, secured their second straight victory in the series with a combination of power hitting and dominant pitching.
The scoring began in the fourth inning when Max Muncy connected for a two-run homer off Toronto starter Chris Bassitt. Ohtani followed an inning later with a solo shot to center field, his 40th of the year. The home run marked the third consecutive season — and the fourth time in his career — that Ohtani has reached the milestone, with each previous 40-homer season coinciding with an MVP award.
Snell, making his fourth start of the season and his second since returning from shoulder inflammation earlier this month, allowed three hits and three walks in five innings. It was the 36th double-digit strikeout performance of his career but his first in a Dodgers uniform. The reigning National League Cy Young Award winner signed a five-year, $182 million deal with Los Angeles in the offseason and has now won consecutive starts.
The Dodgers broke the game open in the sixth inning, sending 11 batters to the plate and scoring six runs. Rookie Dalton Rushing drove in two runs with a single, Mookie Betts followed with another two-run single, and Andy Pages capped the rally with a two-run double — his second hit of the inning. Pages had singled to lead off the frame, starting the sequence that chased Toronto reliever Yariel Rodríguez from the game.
Muncy, who has three home runs in five games since returning from a bone bruise, brought his season total to 16 with his blast in the fourth inning. Betts and Rushing each recorded multi-RBI nights as the Dodgers’ offense totaled 12 hits.
Bassitt, who had been one of Toronto’s more reliable starters, allowed three runs on six hits in 4 2/3 innings, striking out three and walking one. The loss dropped his record to 11–6. The Blue Jays’ only offense came in the eighth inning when Ernie Clement hit a solo home run against Dodgers reliever Jack Dreyer.
The win improved Los Angeles to 68–49 on the season, while Toronto fell to 71–43 but still holds the top spot in the American League.
The series concludes Sunday afternoon with the Blue Jays sending left-hander Eric Lauer (7–2, 2.59 ERA) to the mound. Lauer has won three of his last four starts, allowing a combined six earned runs in that span. The Dodgers will counter with right-hander Tyler Glasnow (1–1, 3.06 ERA), who gave up just one earned run over seven innings in a win against St. Louis in his most recent outing.
