Kyle Tucker finally gave the Dodgers something to smile about Saturday night, and the timing made the whole thing feel a little too perfect.
Los Angeles beat the Mets 4-3, and Tucker supplied the biggest swing of the game with a two-run homer in the eighth inning. It was enough cushion for the Dodgers, even with Edgardo Henriquez allowing two runs in the bottom half of the inning.
Kyle Tucker extends the @Dodgers lead with a 2-run homer 😤 pic.twitter.com/35zzDEtSVY
- MLB (@MLB) July 25, 2026
The blast also made it back-to-back days with a home run for Tucker, which at least offers a sliver of hope that things are starting to turn. His last homer before this weekend came on June 27, and even with the recent power surge, his OPS+ for July still sits at 100.
That’s not exactly the kind of production the Dodgers had in mind when they took on a deal that’s costing them over $100 million this season alone.
And that’s where the Mets come in. They were the team the Dodgers beat out in the offseason chase for Tucker, only to pivot to Bo Bichette after missing out. Bichette’s own struggles have already been part of New York’s rough year, and Tucker’s recent homers only add another layer to the frustration.
There’s still a long way to go before anyone can say Tucker has really changed the story in Los Angeles. But for one night, the Dodgers got the version they were waiting for, and the Mets got stuck watching the irony unfold.
In Other News...
Mets Sparked New Outrage During Dodgers Series Involving Emma Stone
A strange bit of off-field theater unfolded during the Mets game against the Dodgers, when the club made room for filming scenes from the upcoming baseball-romance movie The Catch. The production, which stars Emma Stone and Chris Pine, turned a regular night at the ballpark into a set, and Stone was even spotted in the dugout with Juan Soto as cameras rolled.
The wrinkle, though, is how the seating change landed with one longtime season ticket holder who was moved out of his familiar first-row right field spot. The Mets described it as a goodwill gesture, but the fan saw something different, feeling the team had put the production ahead of basic transparency in a situation that was bound to draw scrutiny from anyone paying attention. [Read more 🡒]
Dodgers Fans Wont Love Where This Ace Chase May Be Headed
Tarik Skubal has become one of the most talked-about names in the run-up to the Aug. 3 trade deadline, and the Dodgers are right in the middle of the speculation. The Tigers left-hander is viewed as a difference-maker, and Los Angeles has been mentioned as a strong candidate to land him if Detroit decides to move its ace.
The challenge is the cost, which figures to be steep enough to test how aggressive the Dodgers want to be. With injuries piling up in their rotation, the front office has to weigh whether a bigger swing is worth it or whether the safer path still makes more sense as the deadline approaches. [Read more 🡒]
Former Dodgers Arm Just Ran Into A Familiar Reality
Elieser Hernandezs latest stop came with the kind of quick turn that has become familiar for veteran pitchers trying to hang on. The right-hander, who signed a minor league deal with the Braves last offseason, finally got into a game for Atlanta recently after spending 2024 split between the Dodgers and Brewers and then pitching in Korea in 2025 before landing in the organization.
Atlanta moved on almost immediately, designating Hernandez for assignment and opening the door for left-hander Connor Thomas to come up from Triple-A Gwinnett. For a pitcher with plenty of big league mileage, it was another reminder of how narrow the margin can be once a club starts cycling through depth arms, especially for someone still looking to carve out a stable role. [Read more 🡒]