JT Brubaker watched in disbelief as the ball sailed over the left field wall at Dodger Stadium, courtesy of Max Muncy muscling a sinker on the outside corner only four pitches into the bottom of the first inning.

It was the first of four home runs the Los Angeles Dodgers would hit against the Pirates. Three came off Brubaker, the right-handed starter whose frustration was as visible as the hits were hard.

The Dodgers hit Brubaker from the start on their way to a 9-0 win Wednesday night to sweep their three-game series, their 16th consecutive win over the Pirates dating to June 2018.

“I think it’s just the total number of home runs that I’ve given up this year,” said Brubaker, who has surrendered 18 in his past 12 starts and 28 this season. “It’s just adding up. I’m sick of seeing the ball leave the park. When it does, it just adds up and it’s just even more frustrating.”

The losses are adding up for the Pirates (42-79), who lost their fifth consecutive game and have dropped 15 of 17 since Aug. 1. It marked the 14th time they have been swept this season, including the second this season by the Dodgers (75-46).

It’s starting to take a toll on Brubaker (4-13), who allowed seven runs on eight hits and two walks while striking out six for his ninth consecutive loss. He hasn’t won since May 29, a 7-0 victory over Colorado, and has a 7.08 ERA in his last 12 starts.

Muncy homered twice off Brubaker, a two-run shot in the first inning and a three-run homer in the fourth, and AJ Pollock added a solo shot in the second inning. So, Brubaker’s body language was understandable, given that these homers weren’t middle-middle mistakes.

“I think that pitch was 95 off the plate away, and Muncy hit it out,” Pirates manager Derek Shelton said. “You have to tip your cap to him. In the other situations, we have to execute better pitches. That one was executed. It got hit out of the ballpark. We had some other ones that we did not execute. They also got hit out of the ballpark. So, yeah, it’s a frustrating thing.”

Brubaker’s 28 homers allowed this season — tied for most in the NL — are the most ever by a Pirates pitcher in his first 22 starts in a season. It’s the most homers allowed by a Pirates pitcher since Gerrit Cole gave up 31 in 2017. By comparison, Cole did so over 203 innings and 33 starts. Brubaker has given up 28 in 116⅓ innings and 22 starts.

“Home runs are going to happen,” Brubaker said. “These guys are big. They’re strong. They’re able to hit even quality pitches out of the ballpark if they catch it right. They’re strong. It’s just how it is. You can execute a pitch and they can still catch enough barrel to backspin it out of the ballpark.”

By contrast, the Pirates mustered only three singles against the Dodgers, who started lefty Justin Bruihl for the second time in three games. Rookie right-hander Mitch White (1-1) replaced Bruihl with two outs in the second inning and held the Pirates to two hits and two walks while striking out six on 91 pitches in 7⅓ scoreless innings.

“He kept us off-balance with the fastball, but I thought the breaking ball and the changeup is what really gave us fits,” Shelton said. “The execution of it, especially with the changeup to his arm side and the breaking ball against his arm side, I thought that was the difference he made. The other thing, he did a nice job pitching with the lead. You get a comfortable lead, he stayed in attack mode and got us to get outside the zone.”

That lead came courtesy of a three-run first inning, as the first four Dodgers batters reached base against Brubaker. Pollock hit a leadoff single to center that clocked in with a 109.3 mph exit velocity. Muncy followed with his 26th home run, a two-run shot that sailed 375 feet to left at 102.9 mph for a 2-0 lead. Justin Turner doubled down the third base line on a 102.5 mph grounder, then scored on Corey Seager’s single for a 3-0 lead.

Pollock added a two-out, 399-foot homer in the second inning to give the Dodgers a 4-0 lead. Brubaker struck out four of the next five batters, including the final three to end the third inning.

After retiring five in a row, Brubaker walked White, the pitcher, with two outs and gave up a single to Pollock. Muncy sent a full-count sinker over the right-field wall for a three-run home run and 7-0 lead.

Seager hit a two-out, two-run homer to left off reliever Kyle Keller in the sixth to boost the Dodgers’ lead to 9-0.

Shelton saw the signs that the losing is wearing on both Brubaker and the Pirates, who are off Thursday before starting a three-game series at St. Louis.

“I think it’s frustrating,” Shelton said. “I think with young pitchers, you see especially when they feel like executed a pitch and it gets hit out that it’s a frustrating thing, yes.”

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