Dodgers 4, Mets 3: Yoshinobu Yamamoto battles & Kyle Tucker homers again to make it 4 in a row

Chad Moriyama 07/25/2026 Game Recaps Leave A Comment

Today’s game started with a potential pitchers’ duel in the works, but both guys didn’t have their best. Fortunately, at this point in their careers that works out in favor of Yoshinobu Yamamoto over Nolan McLean, especially considering the respective offenses they were facing. Kyle Tucker homered for the second consecutive game and the Dodgers scrapped together some other runs, which was enough for the pen to hang on for dear life in a 4-3 victory.

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Mets starter Nolan McLean hasn’t always gotten the results this year but the stuff is ace-level, and he started today by retiring the first six batters in a row.

That ended suddenly in the 3rd, as Kyle Tucker hit his second homer in as many days to start the inning. His ninth of the year was hit at 107.7 MPH, his hardest of the season, to make it 1-0 Dodgers.

With one down, Dalton Rushing singled and he ended up at third when Shohei Ohtani grounded to first but an error happened on what seemed to hit Rushing’s helmet on a throw to second to corner things up. Andy Pages then followed with an almost identical grounder that did result in an out at second, but McLean didn’t touch the bag at first so Rushing scored to make it 2-0.

Not completing that costed them two runs, as Freddie Freeman singled to re-corner the runners, and then a Francisco Alvarez passed ball gave them a 3-0 lead.

McLean responded with a clean 4th, but a bloop double from Teoscar Hernandez started the 5th, and after a pair of strikeouts it was Andy Pages who took advantage of the chance by poking a single down the line in right to make it 4-0 Dodgers.

The Dodgers then had a golden chance to blow the game open in the 6th, as a single, one-out steal and then walk, and another walk loaded the bases with just one out. Dalton Rushing then hit a 103.6 MPH liner with a .710 xBA right back up the middle and right into Francisco Lindor‘s glove for a double play to end the inning and McLean’s day.

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On the other side, Yoshinobu Yamamoto clearly didn’t have his best stuff or command, but one of the things that makes him an ace is that he’ll usually find a way to make it work.

He started the 1st by looking like he’d cruise by getting the first two quickly, but a two-out single was followed by an odd play in which Yama threw a ball off some ass.

Fortunately, he got out of that jam with a strikeout to keep the line moving.

After he followed that with a clean 2nd, there was some sloppiness in the 3rd as well. He issued a lead-off and one-out walk, which were both moved over on a groundout before he got another groundout to again strand trouble.

Yamamoto then rebounded by going 1-2-3 in the 4th, but immediately got back into trouble in the 5th. The Mets rally started with back-to-back singles, though Yamamoto looked on the verge of escape after a groundout and infield pop followed, but Bo Bichette ruined that hope by flaired a single into left for a run to make it 4-1.

Yamamoto looked like he then got a routine groundout to end the threat, but it took a weird hop and Mookie Betts ended up making a great play to prevent disaster.

He then ended with a scoreless 6th, though again he had to navigate around a lead-off walk.

Still, obviously he did his job: 6 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 5 K, 100 Pitches.

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To finish things for the offense, the Mets pen got scoreless innings in the 7th, 8th, and 9th, which allowed the Mets time to make it interesting against the Dodgers pen.

Taking over for Yoshi was Alex Vesia in the 7th, and he gave up just a two-out walk. However, the 8th saw immediate trouble as Edgardo Henriquez entered and he proceeded to hit a batter and issued a walk, continuing his command struggles in July. He rebounded with back-to-back strikeouts, but Dave Roberts turned to Tanner Scott for the last out.

Pinch-hitter Tyrone Taylor looked to only be sitting slider, and he got one up that he laced for a double that scored both runners and made it 4-3 Dodgers. He was thankfully able to get the final out on a strikeout after issuing an intentional walk, so they kept the lead.

The 9th was given to Brock Stewart, and he cruised through a 1-2-3 frame.

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67-38, best record in baseball, and four in a row.

They will go for the sweep tomorrow at the godforsaken time of 7:40 AM HT/10:40 AM PT/1:40 PM ET. Emmet Sheehan will be on the mound looking for … I mean, anything at his point against Freddy Peralta who probably could use the same.

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