The Los Angeles Dodgers came up empty on several opportunities Wednesday night and suffered a 3-0 shutout loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates. It’s the Dodgers’ eighth shutout loss of the season and their third such defeat since August.
It’s left the Dodgers again in the unenviable — and inexplicable — position of needing a win in the series finale to avoid being swept by a sub-.500 team.
The night was seemingly thrown off course early in the day when the Dodgers revealed Emmet Sheehan was starting the middle game at PNC Park rather than Shohei Ohtani. Manager Dave Roberts explained the change in starting pitcher was due to Ohtani feeling under the weather, though the two-way star still fulfilled his duties as the Dodgers’ designated hitter.
Ohtani went 2-for-4 with one double and a strikeout in the Dodgers’ loss.
Meanwhile, Sheehan allowed two runs over 4.2 innings. He was hurt by a missed call in the first inning that extended Bryan Reynolds at-bat and ultimately led to a home run.
Andrew McCutchen then doubled the Pirates’ lead with a home run to start the bottom of the second inning. To compound matters, the second inning was also when Will Smith took a foul ball off his right hand.
He initially remained in the game but was pinch-hit for by Dalton Rushing in the third inning. The Dodgers announced Smith was removed due to a right hand contusion.
Dodgers struggle with bases loaded
Prior to the Pirates extending their lead, the Dodgers appeared primed to break through against rookie Braxton Ashcraft in the second inning.
Freddie Freeman’s leadoff single was followed by walks from Teoscar Hernández and Alex Call to load the bases with nobody out. But that was followed by Andy Pages and Alex Freeland striking out, and Kiké Hernández hitting a lazy fly ball to right field.
The Dodgers loaded the bases with two outs in the third inning, only for Call to hit a tapper in front of the mound.
Nothing came of Ohtani’s leadoff double and Mookie Betts’ walk that put two on with nobody out in the fifth inning.
The Dodgers to that point on the night fell to 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position and had stranded seven on base through five innings.
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