Dodgers starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto (18) reacts during the fifth inning as San Francisco Giants catcher Eric Haase (18) runs the bases after hitting his second one run home run of the game at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images” />
LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers are piling up disheartening defeats, and this time their cold offense wasn’t alone in the struggle. Right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto gave up three home runs for the first time in his MLB career, leading to a 6-2 loss to the San Francisco Giants on Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium.
Los Angeles has now dropped four straight games, each by at least four runs—a franchise first since 1936, when the Brooklyn Dodgers did it.
Despite striking out eight and walking none over six innings, Yamamoto allowed only four hits—three of them solo homers with two outs. Giants catcher Eric Haase went deep twice, and Harrison Bader added another. It marked the first time in 67 MLB appearances (66 starts) that Yamamoto surrendered three homers. He had allowed two homers in a start five times before, none this season until Tuesday.
San Francisco entered Tuesday ranked 28th in home runs among 30 teams, but its three homers proved decisive.
At just 84 pitches through six innings, Yamamoto returned for the seventh but was immediately greeted by a double from Heliot Ramos and a single by Willy Adames. After one out, Blake Treinen replaced him. A bunt by Drew Gilbert was not handled cleanly by charging first baseman Freddie Freeman, allowing a run, then Andy Pages made a spectacular leaping catch at the center-field wall, narrowly denying Haase a third homer. Jung Hoo Lee followed with a two-run double, adding the insurance runs that the Dodgers’ weak offense could only dream of.
### Stalled Offense
The game began promisingly: the Dodgers loaded the bases with one out in the first inning. Will Smith smashed a deep fly ball to right field, but Lee robbed him with a fantastic catch—much like Max Muncy’s on Sunday. Shohei Ohtani did score on the sacrifice fly to give the Dodgers a 1-0 lead.
“We need to improve. We’re not meeting expectations,” manager Dave Roberts said before the game. “The work is there, but we need the results to follow.”
It was only the second time in 13 games that the Dodgers scored in the first inning, and the first time in seven home games they scored first. But the offensive output stopped there against Giants starter Adrian Houser, who entered Tuesday with a 6.19 ERA (121st) and 5.53 xERA (118th) among 132 qualified pitchers. Opponents had hit .298/.348/.543 against Houser, but the Dodgers managed just two runs and three hits off him in 5 2/3 innings.
Ohtani provided a glimmer of hope with two hits, including a solo home run to left-center field—his first long ball since April 26, snapping a 52-plate-appearance drought.
Before Tuesday, Roberts said Ohtani would not start at designated hitter in Thursday’s series finale, and after the game added Ohtani would also not hit on Wednesday, as he is scheduled to pitch. Ohtani has hit .200/.321/.300 with a 76 wRC+ over his last 23 games.
“Fatigue is bleeding into his mechanics,” Roberts said. “Most players feel that toward the end of summer. But with Shohei, it’s showing earlier, likely due to the toll of pitching and hitting.”
Ohtani has faced 145 batters as a pitcher this season and taken 185 at-bats, totaling 330 plate appearances—36.3% more than any other player (Miami’s Sandy Alcantara has faced 242 batters).
The Dodgers again loaded the bases with one out in the eighth, but Muncy struck out looking against lefty Sam Hentges, and Pages flew out to left against right-hander Caleb Kilian. No runs scored.
Los Angeles has been held to three runs or fewer in 10 of their last 13 games, including each of the last five. Over the current four-game skid, they’ve allowed seven, seven, nine, and six runs.
“It’s tough when you’re not putting up crooked numbers,” Roberts said. “The margin is thin, and it’s hard for the bullpen to be perfect every night.”
### Tuesday’s Key Details
– Home runs: Shohei Ohtani (7); Eric Haase 2 (2), Harrison Bader (2)
– WP: Adrian Houser (1-4) – 5 2/3 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 3 BB, 4 K
– LP: Yoshinobu Yamamoto (3-3) – 6 1/3 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 8 K
– Sv: Caleb Kilian (2) – 1 1/3 IP, 1 K
### Up Next
Shohei Ohtani returns to the mound for his seventh pitching start of the season on Wednesday (7:10 p.m. PT), but he will not bat. Left-hander Robbie Ray starts for San Francisco.
