LOS ANGELES (Interstat) — Blake Snell tossed six scoreless innings and the Los Angeles Dodgers completed a three-game sweep of the Pittsburgh Pirates with a 4-0 victory Sunday afternoon at Dodger Stadium.

Snell, the winning pitcher, allowed two hits and struck out six without giving up an earned run. He improved to 2-1 on the season, lowering his ERA in the process. The left-hander retired the side in order in the second, third and sixth innings and consistently worked ahead, keeping Pittsburgh’s hitters off balance with a fastball that touched the upper 90s and a sharp breaking ball that accounted for most of his strikeouts.

The Dodgers struck first in the bottom of the first inning. Shohei Ohtani drew a walk to open the frame, and Freddie Freeman followed with a sharp line-drive single to center field that sent Ohtani to third. Mookie Betts then grounded into a double play, but Ohtani crossed the plate on the play for a 1-0 lead. Max Muncy walked later in the inning, but Tommy Edman flew out to right to end the threat.

Pittsburgh had a chance in the top of the first when Nick Gonzales was hit by a pitch and later advanced to third on a ground-ball single by Brandon Lowe that deflected off Freeman at first. But Esmerlyn Valdez struck out swinging and Rafael Flores Jr. struck out on a foul tip to strand Gonzales. It was that kind of afternoon for the Pirates, who managed only two hits all game.

The Dodgers broke the game open in the fourth inning. Tommy Edman was hit by a pitch to start the rally, and Kyle Tucker singled sharply to right field to put runners at first and second. Teoscar Hernández was called out on strikes after a challenge confirmed the call, but Alek Thomas followed with a ground-ball single to right that scored Edman and moved Tucker to third. Hunter Feduccia then singled to right, driving in Tucker and sending Thomas to third. Ohtani grounded into a force out to shortstop to end the inning, but the Dodgers had extended their lead to 3-0.

Los Angeles added insurance in the fifth. Freeman lined a single to right, and Betts followed with a fly-ball single to center that put runners at first and third. Muncy grounded out to the pitcher, allowing Freeman to score for a 4-0 lead. Edman flew out to right and Tucker struck out swinging to end the inning, but the damage was done.

Snell was supported by a bullpen that worked three perfect innings. Edgardo Henriquez struck out two in the seventh, Brock Stewart fanned one in the eighth, and Alex Vesia closed out the game with a strikeout in the ninth. The trio did not allow a hit or a walk, preserving the shutout.

Pittsburgh’s best scoring chance came in the top of the first, but the Pirates also put a runner on base in the second when Spencer Horwitz singled. However, Jared Triolo lined out and Billy Cook struck out to end that inning. In the fourth, Horwitz walked with two outs, but Triolo grounded into a force out to shortstop. The Pirates did not get a runner past first base after the first inning.

Lake Bachar took the loss for Pittsburgh, falling to 1-3. He allowed one run on one hit over two innings, striking out one. Carmen Mlodzinski relieved Bachar and surrendered three runs on five hits over three innings, striking out four. Khristian Curtis worked the final three innings and was sharp, allowing no hits and striking out one while retiring all nine batters he faced.

Pittsburgh’s two hits came from Brandon Lowe and Spencer Horwitz, both singles. The Pirates struck out 10 times as a team and drew only two walks. Los Angeles, meanwhile, collected six hits, with Freeman recording two of them. Thomas and Feduccia each drove in a run, and Betts reached base twice.

The Dodgers improved to 80-51 with the victory, while the Pirates fell to 63-69. The attendance was 44,092, and the game lasted 2 hours, 34 minutes. The victory capped a three-game sweep of the Pirates at Dodger Stadium, matching the teams’ previous series in June, when the Dodgers took two of three in Pittsburgh.

The shutout was the first for the Dodgers against the Pirates this season, and it came on the strength of Snell’s efficient outing. He threw 21 strikes among his pitches, with 15 balls and 15 balls put into play by Pirates hitters. The Dodgers’ pitchers combined for a similar ratio, though their production was more significant in terms of keeping Pittsburgh off the bases.

Ohtani, who reached base twice on a walk and a hit by pitch, scored the game’s first run. Freeman, Betts, Muncy, Edman, Tucker, Hernández, Thomas and Feduccia all contributed to a balanced offensive effort that did not require a home run or extra-base hit to produce four runs.

Pittsburgh’s next game is Monday at San Diego, while Los Angeles will travel to Atlanta for a three-game series beginning Tuesday. The Dodgers return home next week to host St. Louis. Pittsburgh will face the Padres in a three-game set before heading to St. Louis.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Los Angeles Dodgers 6, Pittsburgh Pirates 5. Interstat’s ELO system had projected the Dodgers with a 65.70 percent probability to win. Los Angeles had been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of -1.5. The total score of 4 went over the over/under line of 8.5.