Blake Snell threw six shutout innings and the Dodgers blanked the Pittsburgh Pirates 4-0 on Sunday, Aug. 23, completing a three-game sweep at Dodger Stadium and running their winning streak to six, according to the Los Angeles Times.

The victory gave Los Angeles its 80th win of the season (80-51) and pushed its NL West lead to nine games over San Diego. As recently as Aug. 17, the Dodgers were mired in a seven-game losing streak. Now they've swept Colorado and Pittsburgh back-to-back.

Snell, the two-time Cy Young winner who missed months after elbow surgery in May, allowed just two hits and struck out six. Over the three-game series, Dodgers starters Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tarik Skubal and Snell combined for 26 strikeouts, five walks and five earned runs in 19 innings.

The offense broke through in the fourth. Kyle Tucker singled to right, and newcomer Alek Thomas followed with an RBI single. Hunter Feduccia, one of a rotation of catchers filling in while Will Smith works his way back from a neck injury, drove in another run with a single of his own.

Freddie Freeman finished with two hits.

Tucker, signed to a $60-million-per-year deal, came into the weekend hitting .189 at Dodger Stadium and had gone 0-for-19 in his last homestand. On Friday, fans gave him a sustained standing ovation every time he stepped to the plate.

"I don't keep up with stats like that," Tucker said after Saturday's win. "I just go out there and take the next [at-bat] and try to have a good quality AB."

Thomas, acquired from Arizona after center fielder Andy Pages fractured his left hand on a hit-by-pitch Friday, made his Dodgers debut Saturday and drove in a run in each of his first two games. Pages underwent minor surgery and is expected to miss at least four weeks.

Ohtani targets September mound return

Beyond the sweep, the biggest development of the weekend came Saturday, when Shohei Ohtani threw 30 pitches in a live batting-practice session to Smith, who caught the session as part of his own rehab, according to the Los Angeles Times. It was Ohtani's first time facing hitters since his last start July 3.

Manager Dave Roberts said Saturday that everything from the coaches was "really positive" and that Ohtani's knee issues are "behind us," crediting mechanical adjustments that opened up his landing to relieve pressure on the joint.

On Sunday, Roberts said the club's approach to Ohtani's buildup would be "a little bit more aggressive" than last year's cautious one-inning-at-a-time return from Tommy John surgery. Ohtani is scheduled to throw a bullpen session during the upcoming road series at Atlanta, after which the team will decide whether he's ready to rejoin the rotation or needs another live BP. Roberts said a return as early as the first week of September is possible and that Ohtani could theoretically build to five innings by season's end.

Ohtani's bat hasn't slowed during his time off the mound. He entered Sunday hitting .289/.391/.549 with 30 home runs and 80 RBIs.

Tyler Glasnow is penciled in to start Tuesday at Atlanta with no limitations as the Dodgers open a road series against the Braves.