inning. Diaz then tagged Wrobleski for a home run in the fourth.

After a pair of one-inning starts in his return to the mound last month, Ohtani’s workload was increased to two innings last Saturday against Kansas City when he gave up one hit in two scoreless innings on 27 pitches.

Ohtani’s one hit over two scoreless innings on Saturday was done on 31 pitches.

One more Ohtani start before the All-Star break of two innings is expected to come next weekend amid the chaos of a Dodgers-Giants series at San Francisco.

“In a rehab progression, it’s really important to just take one step at a time,” Ohtani said. “There are times when I may be able to go another inning, but it’s really important not to take unnecessary risks and make sure that I can progress consistently. It’s always been this way in terms of my rehab progression. So I’m following what the team is also asking me as well.”

The Dodgers seemed keen on revenge for an 18-1 disaster of a performance Friday against the Astros that was the largest margin of defeat in Dodger Stadium history.

Mookie Betts hit a first-inning home run for a 1-0 lead, that was just his second in the past 22 games but both have come in the past three days. In the second inning, No. 9 hitter Miguel Rojas stole an RBI chance away from Ohtani in the leadoff spot when his RBI single made it 2-0.

The Astros’ four-run third included a two-run double from Zack Short, and RBI singles from Cam Smith and Christian Walker. The four-run inning matched the total runs given up by Wrobleski in his last three starts combined (16 innings).

Diaz’s home run in the fourth made it 5-2, but Rojas pulled the Dodgers within a run on a two-run home run off the top of the wall in left-center. Rojas thought he walked on a 3-1 pitch that was called a strike. He then called timeout and stepped back into the batter’s box to hit his fourth homer of the season.

The Dodgers appeared to be in business in the seventh inning when Betts opened with a hit that skipped past Astros left fielder Cooper Hummell. But Betts was thrown out trying to advance to third base on the play.

“I read the throw right,” Betts said. “When I was running, I was like, ‘If he throws it and I see it not going toward third base. …’ It was more towards shortstop. That’s why I just kept going, because I figured it was behind him. Usually the third baseman is lined up to third, but he wasn’t in line with third. So a misread, for sure.”

A half inning later, the Astros padded their lead to two runs when Victor Caratini delivered a sacrifice fly that Kiké Hernandez tracked down on the warning track at full speed.

Wrobleski (4-3) gave up five runs (four earned) over 4 2/3 innings with one walk and six strikeouts. The four earned runs matched his combined total over his previous four outings (20 1/3 innings).

“I think for me, what I’ve realized is the results are going to come if you just focus on the right things and continue to improve each time out,” Wrobleski said. “Whether that’s your next inning or your next outing or whatever it is, just being able to move on from whatever the result is, whether it’s good or bad, just continue to focus on what creates success.”

Dodgers rookie right-hander Jack Little retired the side in order in the ninth inning in his second career appearance, and first since he hit the San Diego Padres’ Fernando Tatis Jr. with a pitch to cause a bench-clearing incident in his big league debut.