Cubs shutout Dodger, 16-0, marking Dodgers' worst shutout loss since 1965

LOS ANGELES –  The Chicago Cubs shut out the Los Angeles Dodgers, 16-0, thanks to a dominant performance by Ben Brown on Saturday night at Dodger Stadium.

The Dodgers lost at home for the first time after winning their first seven games at Dodger Stadium, as the Cubs’ offense scored 16 runs on 21 hits.

On a historic night in 2025, the Dodgers faced one of the most significant losses in franchise history, 16-0. This loss is tied for the largest margin of defeat at Dodger Stadium. It marks the 16th time in the team’s history that they have lost by 16 or more runs, and it is the first time since 1965 that they lost by 16 runs while being shut out. It is worth noting that the Dodgers went on to win the World Series in 1965.

In his fourth start of the season, right-hander Roki Sasaki pitched five innings, which marked the first time he had gone beyond four innings this year. He allowed four hits, two walks, and one earned run. 

"I didn't quite feel comfortable in my first inning, but felt like I hit a stride after that first inning," Sasaki said. " That was something that I was able to continue from my last outing,"

The Cubs batter was patiently waiting for Sasaki's fastball, avoiding the splitter. On Saturday, he limited himself to throwing the splitter 20 times, with nine strikes.

Former Dodger Michael Busch hit a high fastball for his second home run of the season. Busch was just an inch away from having a career night as Andy Pages made an impressive catch in center field, robbing him of a grand slam.

Pages helped stabilize the game, preserving the Cubs' 1-0 lead after Sasaki left. Although the Dodgers still had an opportunity to stage a comeback when Sasaki exited, their bullpen was unable to contain the Cubs' offense.

Right-hander Ben Casparius entered the game in the sixth inning but quickly encountered difficulties. He allowed his first run of the season when Justin Turner hit an RBI single to left field. Prior to this appearance, Casparius had pitched nine shutout innings and recorded nine strikeouts over his first six games. In the seventh inning, he allowed a solo home run to Carson Kelly, the ninth batter in the lineup, marking Kelly’s third home run this season. Dave Roberts decided to keep Casparius in for multiple innings, as the bullpen had been heavily utilized in recent games.

Casparius struggled in the seventh inning, allowing six runs due to three RBI singles, a sacrifice fly, and a home run. Miguel Amaya delivered the first RBI single, followed by hits from Dansby Swanson and Busch. Amaya came in as a pinch hitter for Seiya Suzuki, who left the game due to wrist discomfort.

A disastrous seventh inning left the Dodgers trailing 7-0, as Casparius pitched 1 ⅔ innings, giving up seven hits and six earned runs on 41 pitches. Roberts brought in Luis Garcia to secure the last out of the seventh inning, as he had allowed four earned runs on three hits before that.

Miguel Rojas entered the game to pitch in the eighth inning, with the Dodgers trailing 11-0. Despite the score, Rojas recorded three outs on just 10 pitches. Gage Workman got his first MLB hit with a 44 mph slider. Rojas closed out the final two innings after allowing seven hits and five earned runs on a total of 33 pitches.

Right-hander Ben Brown delivered his best start of the 2025 season for the Cubs, pitching six shutout innings. He allowed five hits without issuing any walks and had no earned runs while throwing 85 pitches. Brown recorded five strikeouts during the game, as the Dodgers' offense struggled against a strong performance from pitcher Sasaki.

Shohei Ohtani recorded a leadoff single in the first inning, marking his only hit of the game, and he also stole his fourth base of the season. Freddie Freeman achieved his first hit since returning from injury with a single in the sixth inning; he had gone hitless on Friday night, striking out twice and being hit by a pitch. Mookie Betts, Michael Conforto, and Tommy Edman all went without a hit, combining for a 0-for-11 performance on Saturday night.

Teoscar Hernandez continued his impressive hitting streak by recording two singles, which raised his batting average to .300. He now has five home runs and 16 RBIs for the season. Hernandez was the only player on the Dodgers to achieve multiple hits in the game. Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, Max Muncy, and Chris Taylor each had one hit, contributing to the Dodgers' total of six hits for the night.

After a historic loss, the Dodgers are looking to bounce back on Sunday as they host the final game of a three-game series on Sunday Night Baseball, exclusively on ESPN. The Dodgers will start right-hander Tyler Glasnow (1-0, 6.43 ERA), while the Cubs will counter with right-hander Colin Rea (1-0, 7.36 ERA).