Kyle Tucker can't deliver in the ninth as Orioles even series

LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers were given one last gift Saturday night at Uniqlo Field at Dodger Stadium.

After being dominated for seven innings by Orioles left-hander Trevor Rogers, they suddenly found themselves with the tying run on third base, the winning run on first, and their highest-paid player stepping to the plate.

Four pitches later, it was over.

Kyle Tucker swung through three consecutive splitters low in the strike zone and struck out to end the game, capping a frustrating night for both Tucker and a Dodgers offense that once again failed to provide Yoshinobu Yamamoto with enough support in a 3-2 loss to Baltimore.

The Orioles entered the ninth inning in complete control before a defensive mistake opened the door. Shohei Ohtani, back from paternity leave, launched a solo home run to right field to put the Dodgers on the board. Freddie Freeman followed with a walk, Mookie Betts reached on an infield hit, and Tommy Edman brought home another run when Leody Taveras dropped a fly ball in right field.

Suddenly, the Dodgers had life.

Then came Tucker's at-bat.

With the tying run 90 feet away, Tucker chased splitter after splitter below the zone, never forcing Orioles’ Yennier Cano into the strike zone. It was the kind of at-bat that leaves a stadium stunned because the opportunity was there. It was Cano’s first save of the season.

William Navarro-Imagn Images

Baltimore Orioles pitcher Yennier Cano (78) throws in the ninth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium.

The Dodgers didn't need a home run. They didn't even need an extra-base hit.

They just needed a quality plate appearance.

Instead, Tucker expanded the zone three straight times and watched the comeback end before it truly had a chance to begin.

For a player in the first season of a four-year, $240 million contract, those moments inevitably draw attention.

The Dodgers did not sign Tucker simply for regular-season production. They signed him because they believed he could deliver in October. But through 73 games, the offensive consistency has been difficult to find.

Tucker is hitting .238 with six home runs, 40 RBIs and a .715 OPS. While there is still plenty of time before the postseason, the production has fallen well short of expectations for a player earning $60 million this season.

His offensive numbers have steadily declined from the peak years that made him one of baseball's top hitters. In his final season with Houston in 2024, Tucker hit .289 with 23 home runs. Last season with the Cubs, he batted .266 with 22 home runs and 73 RBIs.

The Dodgers were willing to overlook the downward trend because they believed his bat would remain a difference-maker in a championship lineup.

So far, that gamble remains a work in progress.

Dave Roberts has maintained confidence in Tucker, noting in recent weeks that he believes the veteran outfielder has started to settle in and turn a corner with his new club.

The Dodgers certainly hope that's true.

Saturday's loss, however, belonged more to Baltimore's pitching than Tucker's struggles.

Rogers entered the game carrying a 5.86 ERA and proceeded to silence one of baseball's most expensive lineups. The left-hander threw seven scoreless innings, allowing just one hit while striking out six and walking two.

Tommy Edman's bloop single in the fifth inning broke up Rogers' no-hit bid and represented the Dodgers' only hit against him all night.

"We got bullied tonight with the fastball," Roberts said afterward.

The statement accurately summarized the evening.

Meanwhile, Yamamoto once again found himself pitching with little margin for error.

The right-hander allowed three runs over six innings while striking out six and throwing 102 pitches. The outing raised his ERA to 2.65 and dropped his record to 7-5.

"I was looking for the right feel," Yamamoto said. "That was the biggest struggle for me."

Baltimore scratched across a run in the second inning when Colby Mayo produced an RBI fielder's choice. The decisive blow came in the fourth.

Leody Taveras singled to put runners on first and second before Blaze Alexander ripped a two-run double past a diving Edman at third base, extending the Orioles' lead to 3-0.

That proved to be enough.

Yamamoto has spent much of the season delivering quality starts while waiting for offensive support that often arrives too late. Saturday was another example.

The Dodgers finally showed signs of life when Ohtani returned from paternity leave and immediately reminded everyone why he's one of baseball's most dangerous hitters.

After the game, Roberts said he had briefly congratulated Ohtani and his wife, Mamiko.

"I talked to him briefly, congratulated him and Mamiko," Roberts said. "He says his body feels great, so the day off was good for him."

Ohtani's ninth-inning home run nearly sparked a dramatic comeback.

Nearly.

Instead, the night ended with Tucker chasing one splitter after another.

The Dodgers can live with a loss. They can live with being shut down by a pitcher who had his best outing of the season.

What they need moving forward is for Tucker to become the player they invested $240 million in. Because when October arrives, those are the moments he'll be paid to deliver.

The Dodgers will try to secure the series on Father's Day Sunday when Emmet Sheehan (5-2, 4.76 ERA) takes the mound against Orioles right-hander Brandon Young (5-2, 3.18 ERA).