LOS ANGELES — If there were any lingering doubts about the Dodgers’ championship-caliber potential as the season heads into its final stretch, Saturday night offered a resounding rebuttal. The combination of vintage Blake Snell and historic Shohei Ohtani was too much for the Toronto Blue Jays, as the Dodgers dominated en route to a 9-1 victory at Dodger Stadium.
Snell, making his second start since returning from the injured list, looked every bit like the ace the Dodgers hoped he would be. In front of a packed Saturday night crowd, the left-hander carved through the Blue Jays’ lineup with surgical precision, striking out 10 across six shutout innings. He scattered just three hits and three walks, throwing 90 pitches in a statement outing that could have significant postseason implications.
“There are a lot of things I can do better and help me get deeper into the game,” Snell said.
And then there’s Ohtani. Once again, the two-way sensation turned the game into a personal highlight reel.
In the fifth inning, with the Dodgers already leading 2-0, Ohtani unloaded on a Chris Bassitt fastball, launching it over the center field fence for his 40th home run of the season — a towering shot that brought the Dodger Stadium crowd to its feet and further solidified his place in franchise and league history.
Ohtani now has back-to-back 40-homer seasons in a Dodgers uniform, joining only Duke Snider and Shawn Green in that exclusive club. He reached the milestone in the Dodgers’ 117th game, making him the fastest to 40 in franchise history, surpassing Cody Bellinger’s mark of 123 games in 2019.
He’s not just slugging, either. Ohtani’s .999 OPS and 2.37 ERA over 19 innings this season — paired with 25 strikeouts — keep him firmly in the MVP driver’s seat. A third consecutive MVP, and fourth overall, feels more like a formality than a race at this point. Ohtani has scored 110 runs this year. No one else in the NL has more than 80.This is the first time an NL player has had at least 30 more runs than any other player in the Senior Circuit at the end of any given day since 1932, when Chuck Klein led by as many as 37 runs.
Still, Ohtani wasn’t the only source of firepower Saturday. Max Muncy continued to showcase his resurgent season with his 16th home run, an opposite-field blast in the fourth that put the Dodgers on the board.
The game broke wide open in the sixth inning. Rookie catcher Dalton Rushing, mired in a 0-for-16 slump, delivered a two-run single with the bases loaded that stretched the Dodgers’ lead to 5-0.
Following a wild pitch and an intentional walk to load the bases for Ohtani, Mookie Betts lined a two-run single off third baseman Buddy Kennedy’s glove. Andy Pages capped off the inning with a two-run double, giving the Dodgers a six-run sixth and a 9-0 lead that put the game out of reach.
Right-hander Chris Bassitt had little answer for L.A.’s bats, surrendering three earned runs across 4 2/3 innings on 68 pitches. His night was cut short after Ohtani’s moonshot made it 3-0.
Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images
Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Chris Bassitt (40) pitches during the fourth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium.
Toronto’s lone bright spot came in the eighth inning, when second baseman Ernie Clement homered off reliever Jack Dryer to spoil the shutout.
Otherwise, the night belonged to the Dodgers. And it may have marked a turning point for more than just Rushing.
“The offense is starting to ramp up the focus,” Roberts said.
Indeed, with the calendar flipped past the trade deadline and into the stretch run, the Dodgers look like a team rounding into form. Ohtani is breaking records. Snell is regaining ace status. Muncy is raking. And young players like Rushing and Pages are stepping into bigger roles.
On Sunday, Los Angeles will send Tyler Glasnow (1-1, 3.06 ERA) to the mound in search of a sweep. He’ll be opposed by Blue Jays lefty Eric Lauer (7-2, 2.59 ERA) in the series finale.
Roberts provided an update on Roki Sasaki as he is set to make a rehab start Thursday in Oklahoma City. He’s expected to throw around 75 pitches. No word yet on how many outings he’ll need, but it’s a promising sign for the Dodgers’ October plans.