Kyle Tucker homers, drives in 2 runs as the Dodgers beat the Astros 8-3

HOUSTON (AP) — Kyle Tucker homered and drove in two runs against his former team to lead the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 8-3 win over the Houston Astros on Monday night.

Tucker’s home run came in a four-run third inning that broke open a close game, pushing the lead to 7-2. He’s in his first season with the Dodgers after spending last year with the Cubs following seven seasons in Houston.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto pitched six strong innings and Alex Freeland homered and tied a career high with three hits to help the Dodgers to their second straight win following a four-game skid. Yamamoto (3-2) allowed five hits and three runs with eight strikeouts for his first win since April 7.

Zach Cole hit a solo home run for the Astros in his season debut after being recalled from Triple-A Sugar Land before the game. Houston played without catcher Yainer Diaz, who was a late scratch because of a left abdominal injury.

Steven Okert started, but got just two outs in a bullpen game for Houston before being replaced by Ryan Weiss (0-3), who allowed eight hits and seven runs — six earned — in 4 1/3 innings.

Tucker put the Dodgers up early with his two-out RBI single in the first.

The Astros tied it in the bottom of the inning on a run-scoring single by Jose Altuve with two outs. Houston took a 2-1 lead when a run scored on a wild pitch by Yamamoto.

Freeland tied it with his home run with one out in the second. Shohei Ohtani walked before scoring on a two-out double by Will Smith.

Tucker’s shot to the seats in right field to open the third extended the lead to 4-2. The bases were loaded with one out in the inning when Ohtani grounded into a force out that scored another run.

Freddie Freeman hit an RBI single, and a fielding error by Cam Smith on the play allowed another run to score, pushing the lead to 7-2. Freeman drove in another run with a single in the fifth.

Cole’s home to right field came with one out in the fifth and cut the lead to 8-3.

Dodgers RHP Shohei Ohtani (2-1, 0.60 ERA) opposes RHP Peter Lambert (1-2, 3.52) when the series continues Tuesday night.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB

Los Angeles Dodgers' Alex Freeland (76) returns to the dugout after hitting a home run during the second inning of a baseball game against the Houston Astros in Houston, Monday, May 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Houston Astros pitcher Kai-Wei Teng throws during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Houston, Monday, May 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani prepares to bat during the first inning of a baseball game against the Houston Astros in Houston, Monday, May 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Houston Astros designated hitter Yordan Alvarez (44) singles during the first inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Houston, Monday, May 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto (18) throws during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Houston Astros in Houston, Monday, May 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

NEW YORK (AP) — Jalen Brunson scored 27 of his 35 points in the first half and the New York Knicks emphatically added to a historic postseason roll by overwhelming the Philadelphia 76ers 137-98 on Monday night in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.

The Knicks became the first team in NBA history to win three straight postseason games by at least 25 points, continuing a wave that began midway through the first round against Atlanta by shooting 63% from the field and leading by 40 points.

“We’re playing well, but it doesn’t mean anything if we can’t find a way to get three more wins,” Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns said. “So, we've just got to stick to the task at hand.”

OG Anunoby added 18 points on 7-for-8 shooting, while Towns and Mikal Bridges both had 17, with Towns adding six rebounds and six assists in just 20 minutes.

After trailing 2-1 against Atlanta, the Knicks have won four straight games by a total of 135 points. They are the first team since detailed play-by-play began in 1996-97 to lead three straight playoff games by at least 30 points, according to Sportradar.

Brunson said the Knicks' focus and attention to detail have been better since they fell behind.

“Yes, it’s turned into obviously big wins, but those attention to detail things are going to help us in the close ones as well,” Brunson said.

Game 2 is Wednesday night before the series shifts to Philadelphia — with Joel Embiid already pleading with 76ers fans not to sell their tickets to Knicks fans when it does.

But the 76ers didn't exactly give their fans much reason to want to keep them Monday.

Paul George scored 17 points for Philadelphia. Embiid shot just 3 for 11 for his 14 points and Tyrese Maxey had just 13, not making his first basket until five minutes into the second quarter.

The 76ers had just one full day off after winning in Boston on Saturday night to complete the NBA's 14th comeback from a 3-1 deficit. But they looked more like the team that lost twice by 32 points in the first four games to fall into that deficit.

The Knicks had a much easier first round — and finished it with one of the easiest games in NBA playoff history. They crushed Atlanta 140-89 on Thursday in Game 6, setting a postseason record by building a 47-point halftime lead.

There were long stretches Monday that looked similar.

“They were obviously picking us apart, moving a lot better than we were,” 76ers coach Nick Nurse said.

The Knicks scored eight straight points midway through the second quarter to extend a 10-point lead to 57-39, and Brunson scored their final 11 points, capped by a 3-pointer with 0.3 seconds remaining, to make it 74-51 at halftime.

Towns' 3-pointer made it 90-60 about five minutes into the second half and it was mostly reserves from there. Brunson played only 31 minutes, perhaps the only reason he didn't reach 40 points for a fourth straight playoff game against the 76ers.

He averaged 35.5 points in a first-round series against the 76ers in 2024 and closed it with three straight 40-point games, including a franchise playoff-record 47 in Game 4.

The 76ers still haven't figured out a way to stop him.

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba

New York Knicks' Og Anunoby, right, drives past Philadelphia 76ers' Justin Edwards during the first half of Game 1 in a second-round NBA basketball playoffs series Monday, May 4, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

New York Knicks' Karl-Anthony Towns, right, fouls Philadelphia 76ers' Joel Embiid during the first half of Game 1 in a second-round NBA basketball playoffs series Monday, May 4, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

New York Knicks' Mikal Bridges dunks the ball during the first half of Game 1 in a second-round NBA basketball playoffs series against the Philadelphia 76ers Monday, May 4, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

New York Knicks' Karl-Anthony Towns, right, dunk during the first half of Game 1 in a second-round NBA basketball playoffs series against the Philadelphia 76ers Monday, May 4, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Philadelphia 76ers' Vj Edgecombe, right, fouls New York Knicks' Jalen Brunson during the first half of Game 1 in a second-round NBA basketball playoffs series Monday, May 4, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)