Dalton Rushing Strikes Out 3 Times, Smashes Bat in Dugout

dalton rushing struck out three times and turned frustration into a dugout scene during the Los Angeles Dodgers’ 5-2 win over the San Francisco Giants on May 14, 2026. He finished hitless after a night that stretched a slump that had already cut into his early-season surge.

Rushing’s Fourth-Inning Outburst

In the bottom of the fourth, Rushing went down on a breaking ball out of the zone with a runner on second. He then broke his bat over his leg and slammed his leg guard on the dugout bench.

Two innings later, he struck out again on a high fastball with men in scoring position. This time he slammed his new bat over his helmet three times while the helmet was still on his head.

Dodgers’ Slump Meets A Hot Start

The sequence stood out because Rushing had opened the season by hitting.444 with a 1.761 OPS in his first eight games. Since then, the production has cooled sharply: he had gone 7 for his last 39 over the 14 games before May 14, with a.179 batting average and a.484 OPS in that stretch.

He had not gotten a hit since May 6. Against San Francisco, the line only got worse, as he struck out three times and finished with no hits.

Dodgers Keep First Place

The Dodgers still left the night with a 5-2 victory and a 25-18 record, and they had not let go of first place in the National League West. They had also won the final two games of the four-game series after dropping four straight, with each loss coming by at least four runs.

The timing matters because the Giants game closed before a nine-game road trip that started Friday night. The Dodgers were set to open with three games against the Los Angeles Angels, then move on to the San Diego Padres before taking on the Milwaukee Brewers in a National League Championship Series rematch.