Sixty years after Sandy Koufax delivered his perfect game, the Los Angeles Dodgers’ rotation is again flirting with history. One by one, Los Angeles starters have taken the mound in recent days and reminded the baseball world that October success is often written in the language of pitching dominance.
According to Noah Camras, the Dodgers’ last five starts look like this:
- Shohei Ohtani: 3.2 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 5 K
- Yoshinobu Yamamoto: 8.2 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 10 K
- Clayton Kershaw: 5.2 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 8 K
- Tyler Glasnow: 7 IP, 0 H, 1 ER, 11 K
- Emmet Sheehan: 7 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 9 K
That’s a combined ERA of 1.41.
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The run nearly produced multiple no-hitters. Yamamoto came within one out of history in Baltimore before Jackson Holliday broke it up with a home run. The very next day, Kershaw didn’t allow a hit until the fourth inning. Glasnow followed with seven no-hit frames against Colorado, only for closer Tanner Scott to surrender a ninth-inning double.
Then came Emmet Sheehan. The 25-year-old right-hander was perfect through five innings on Tuesday, setting down 15 straight Rockies hitters. His bid was spoiled in the sixth by Kyle Karros — son of Dodgers great Eric Karros — on the 60th anniversary of Koufax’s masterpiece. Still, Sheehan struck out nine over seven innings in a 7–2 win, his slider doing most of the damage.
“Certainly they’re talented if you look at all six guys (in the rotation),” manager Dave Roberts said. “I do think there’s a feed off one another.”
Sheehan agreed: “Yoshi’s start, and then Glass’ start and Kersh — they’ve all been unreal. Seeing Glass what he did yesterday against the same lineup and trying to pick up on certain stuff … it helps a lot.”
Dodgers Offense Still Searching
Even as the arms carried the spotlight, the Dodgers’ bats remained uneven. Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, and Teoscar Hernández each homered in Tuesday’s win, but Betts didn’t shy away from pointing out a larger truth.
“The offense has to pull our weight,” Betts told SportsNet LA’s Kirsten Watson. “We did okay today but we have to be a lot better.”
Betts, who has battled injuries and inconsistency, may have found a spark with a double and a homer. But his message was clear: if the Dodgers are to repeat, the lineup must match the arms.
Shohei Ohtani Back on the Mound For The Dodgers
One wild card remains Shohei Ohtani. Nearly two years after throwing his last pitch as an Angel, Ohtani has returned to the Dodgers’ rotation. His road back has been uneven — flashes of brilliance punctuated by short outings and nagging cramps — but he’s shown enough to intrigue. His strikeout rate sits at 32.6 percent with a 4.18 ERA, numbers that suggest volatility but also untapped ceiling.
At his best, Ohtani still throws triple digits and pairs it with an arsenal that can overwhelm. He knows the margin for error is thin, but with a softer schedule ahead, he has a chance to stabilize before the postseason.
Dodgers’ October Picture
For the Dodgers, the contrast to last October is striking. In 2024, only Yamamoto was left standing for the playoffs. This time, Glasnow, Kershaw, and Blake Snell are all healthy, with Ohtani adding a dimension no other contender can match.
Roberts and Kiké Hernández have both said the rotation will carry this club in October. That’s not hard to believe. Over the last four starts alone, opposing hitters went 8-for-90 (.089) against Sheehan, Glasnow, Kershaw, and Yamamoto.
The bats may still be finding rhythm, but with Koufax’s legacy as backdrop and Ohtani’s two-way presence looming, the Dodgers are positioned to chase something just as historic: becoming the first repeat champion since the late-1990s Yankees.