Dodgers beat Mets again, behind Yoshinobu Yamamoto & Kyle Tucker

After a lackluster week heading into the All-Star break, the Dodgers have won all three series on the long road trip through the Eastern time zone. That was secured with Saturday night’s 4-3 win over the New York Mets at Citi Field.

Kyle Tucker went 80 plate appearances and nearly four full weeks without a home run before his blast on Friday. Then in his first at-bat on Saturday, Tucker opened the scoring with another blast, in the third inning.

One out after the Tucker homer, Dalton Rushing singled. Shohei Ohtani grounded into a potential double play, but Brent Baty — playing first base this season for the first time in the majors — threw a ball that caromed off Rushing’s helmet, not getting any out and instead putting runners on the corners. Andy Pages beat a return throw to first base to prevent an inning-ending double play for one run, and a passed ball brought home another for a three-run frame.

Teoscar Hernández in the fifth inning doubled for a second straight game, then scored on a two-out single by Pages.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto walked three Mets, just the third time in 19 starts he’s issued more than a pair of free passes. He needed 52 pitches to get through the first three frames, but still finished with a typically solid outing, allowing just one run in six innings.

He allowed five singles, three of them bunched together in the fifth inning for New York’s only run against him. Yamamoto struck out five and completed six innings for the 17th time in 19 starts.

Yamamoto has earned a decision in each of his last 13 starts — nine wins, four losses — the longest in-season streak of decisions by a Dodgers pitcher since Chad Billingsley had 14 straight games with a decision in 2012.

Edgardo Henriquez hit a batter and walked another in the eighth, and both scored on a double off Tanner Scott later in the frame to get New York within a run.

After Scott got the final out of the eighth inning working on his second straight day, Brock Stewart pitched a clean ninth with two strikeouts for his third career save and first since 2023 while with the Minnesota Twins. It’s Stewart’s second career save for the Dodgers, along with a three-inning save on June 20, 2017, also against the Mets.

Home run: Kyle Tucker (9)

WP — Yoshinobu Yamamoto (11-6): 6 IP, 5 hits, 1 run, 3 walks, 5 strikeouts

LP — Nolan McLean (7-7): 6 IP, 7 hits, 4 runs (2 earned), 2 walks, 7 strikeouts

Sv — Brock Stewart (1): 1 IP, 2 strikeouts

The Dodgers long odyssey comes to a close on Sunday morning (10:40 a.m. PT, SportsNet LA) before returning to Ithaca Dodger Stadium. Emmet Sheehan starts the series finale, with Freddy Peralta on the mound for the Mets.