NEW YORK — Roki Sasaki did the heavy lifting. Kyle Tucker made sure it counted.
Sasaki struck out nine over seven innings and the Dodgers leaned on just enough timely hitting to open their series against the Mets with a 4-2 win Thursday night at Citi Field.
The right-hander was in control from the jump, working around a Luis Robert Jr. solo homer in the second and mixing his fastball with a slider that the Mets couldn't square up. Sasaki allowed just three hits and a run over his seven innings, walking two and striking out nine, improving to 4-5 on the season.
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Jul 24, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Roki Sasaki (11) follows through on a pitch against the New York Mets during the fourth inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images
Although the Robert's homerun to left put New York up 1-0 in the second, the Dodgers answered in the fourth. Freddie Freeman and Mookie Betts strung together back-to-back singles, and Miguel Rojas brought Freeman home on a sacrifice fly to tie it at 1-1.
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Jul 24, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers second baseman Miguel Rojas (72) follows through on an RBI sacrifice fly against the New York Mets during the fourth inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images
The game stayed tight into the seventh, when the Dodgers finally broke through against the Mets bullpen. Tucker and Teoscar Hernández opened the inning with back-to-back singles off Brooks Raley, and after Dalton Rushing reached on a fielder's choice that cut down Tucker at the plate, Shohei Ohtani lifted a sacrifice fly to score Hernández and put Los Angeles ahead 2-1.
Freeman kept the pressure on in the eighth, singling and stealing second before Kyle Tucker made the Mets pay. His two-run homer to right-center landed in the Mets bullpen, his eighth of the year, and pushed the lead to 4-1. Tucker’s bat had effectively put the game out of reach, even after Francisco Alvarez answered with a solo shot in the bottom of the inning to make it 4-2.
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Jul 24, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers right fielder Kyle Tucker (23) follows through on a two run home run against the New York Mets during the eighth inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images
Evan Phillips gave up that run in relief of Sasaki, but Tanner Scott closed it out with a scoreless ninth for his 16th save.
The Dodgers had chances to add more. Ohtani doubled and was thrown out trying to stretch it into a triple in the fifth, and Andy Pages tripled in the ninth but was stranded when Tommy Edman struck out to end it.
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Jul 24, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) is tagged out at third base by New York Mets third baseman Bo Bichette (19) attempting to stretch a double into a triple during the fifth inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images
Freeman finished 2-for-4 with a run scored, Ohtani had two hits and an RBI, and Tucker drove in two on his two hits, including the go-ahead swing. Sasaki's nine strikeouts matched a season high, and he's now allowed one run or fewer in four of his last six starts, a stretch that's steadied his ERA at 4.71 after a rocky stretch earlier this year.
The win gives the Dodgers the opener of a three-game set against the Mets, riding a series victory over the Phillies into New York. Yoshinobu Yamamoto is set to take the mound Friday opposite Nolan McLean, with first pitch from Citi Field scheduled for 4:15 p.m. PT.