Blake Snell strikes out 10 in 5 scoreless innings as Dodgers rout Blue Jays

LOS ANGELES — They could get used to this.

In his second start back after missing four months with a shoulder issue, Blake Snell struck out 10 in five scoreless innings and the Dodgers got home runs from Shohei Ohtani and Max Muncy to beat the Toronto Blue Jays 9-1 Saturday night.

The Dodgers have been unimpressed by the American League’s best. The Blue Jays came in having won four of their previous five games and 13 of 20 to move to the top of the AL. But they have been outscored 14-2 in the first two games of the series at Dodger Stadium.

The Blue Jays had a difficult time just putting the ball in play against Snell. He struck out six of the first nine batters he faced and 10 of 21 in his five innings. Snell also walked three so only eight balls were put in play during his time on the mound.

For much of this season, starting pitching was the Dodgers’ biggest worry – and the year before and the year before that – but they finally have a full rotation with the return of Snell (and Tyler Glasnow before that) and Ohtani’s buildup as a starter. The results have been just as healthy.

In eight games this month, that rotation has a 1.24 ERA with no earned runs allowed in four of the eight games. Starters have a 0.94 WHIP in those games – and a 5-1 record (the Dodgers’ last two losses were charged to relievers).

Snell’s fastball averaged 96.3 mph and touched 98 mph against the Blue Jays, drawing seven of the 18 swings-and-misses Snell got and weak contact when the Jays hitters did put a bat on it (an average exit velocity of 80 mph and none more than 89.3 mph). His changeup drew eight swings-and-misses.

The Dodgers started slowly on offense, then poured it on, batting around during a six-run sixth inning.

Muncy sliced a two-run home run into the seats down the left field line in the fourth inning to start the scoring. Since returning from the Injured List, Muncy is 6 for 13 with half of the hits being home runs.

An inning later, Ohtani launched his 40th home run of the season 417 feet to straightaway center field. Ohtani has a hit in every game this month, going 14 for 31 in the first eight games of August.

The game tipped lopsided in the sixth inning when the Dodgers got a two-run single from Dalton Rushing and Mookie Betts and a two-run double by Andy Pages.

Since ending a career-long 0-for-22 stretch on Tuesday, Betts is 7 for 16. He has five RBIs in the past two games after driving in a total of five runs in his 25 games before Friday.