Yoshinobu Yamamoto's 7 2/3 innings helped the Dodgers take the series against the Mets
Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium was a pitcher's duel and a half.
A day after southpaw Justin Wrobleski threw eight scoreless innings against the New York Mets, the Los Angeles Dodgers sent out their ace, Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
Though he didn't quite reach the eight-inning mark, he was surely close, tossing 7 2/3 innings and allowing one earned run on four hits. A late bloop RBI single from Kyle Tucker propelled the Dodgers past the Mets for a 2-1 final.
Mets starter Nolan McLean was keeping up with the 2025 World Series MVP, as Dodgers hitters were trying to figure out his alien-type movements on his pitches all night.
McLean avoided robust damage throughout his start, only giving up one earned run in the first inning, and since that RBI by Freddie Freeman, he gave up just one other hit in the bottom of the seventh to Max Muncy.
Apr 14, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto (18) throws a pitch against the New York Mets during the second inning at Dodger Stadium. -- © Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images The Mets ambushed Yamamoto to begin his outing, as Francisco Lindor cranked a leadoff home run on a 2-0 fastball. That home run marked Lindor's first longball and RBIs of the season.
But since the mistake pitch to Lindor, Yamamoto went on to retire the next 20 Mets batters until he gave up a two-out double in the seventh to Bo Bichette.
Yamamoto's bread-and-butter pitch was his signature splitter, throwing it a career high 42 times. Half of his swing and misses came from his splitter.
"My splitter was working really well," Yamamoto said on the effectiveness of his splitter. "I was able to get the swing and misses, so that's why I was using it."
The seventh inning was Yamamoto's most troublesome inning, dealing with runners on first and second after walking Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez.
He was able to escape the inning, striking out Brett Baty for his seventh punchout of his outing.
Yamamoto entered the eighth inning with 94 pitches, but the Mets were able to bounce him out of the inning after giving up back-to-back hits to Lindor and Carson Benge.
Blake Treinen was able to escape the inning, striking out Luis Robert Jr.
It took seven innings, but the Dodgers' offense awoke in the eighth with Tucker's biggest hit of his early Dodgers career.
With Miguel Rojas and Shohei Ohtani abroad first and second with one out, Tucker poked a soft bloop single over Bichette's hit for a go-ahead RBI.
Alex Vesia would take control of the ninth and slam the door on the Mets, striking out the side and securing the series win.
"I was pretty fired up to be in that spot," Vesia said. "Doc trusted me to get those three hitters out. Those were some no-joke hitters right there, so I knew I had to be on my game."
With this win, the Dodgers improve to a major-league-best 13-4 and have won the last 9 of 11 series. Ohtani takes the mound for Los Angeles in hopes of a series sweep.
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