LOS ANGELES — A man of few words, and some modest production so far, Kyle Tucker said plenty with his play on Monday night.
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Tucker hit a three-run home run and threw out a runner at home plate from right field as the Dodgers opened a three-game series against the Tampa Bay Rays with a 4-3 victory.
Miguel Rojas came through with a tiebreaking pinch-hit home run in the seventh inning, while reprising his Game 7 World Series heroics. It was just the second home run of the season for Rojas and the first pinch-hit homer of the year for the Dodgers.
Home runs were expected to be a regular occurrence for Tucker, but his first season since signing a four-year, $240 million contract with the Dodgers has been a work in progress. Monday’s outburst showed just what the front office had in mind.
Batting .235, with a .709 OPS that is well below his career mark of .852, Tucker had just five home runs this season when he lined a full-count changeup from Rays right-hander Nick Martinez just over the wall in right field to tie the score after an early three-run deficit.
In what is expected to be the final season of his career, Rojas continues to show impeccable timing. His home run in Toronto in Game 7 last fall forced extra innings, where the Dodgers were able to win their second consecutive championship.
There was far less at stake on Monday, although the surprise factor still resonated. Rojas had been dealing with a right ankle/shin injury on the most recent road trip but still was able to get his plant foot down for his go-ahead home run against Rays left-hander Steven Matz.
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The Rays were the team in control early when Junior Caminero delivered a two-out, first-inning double and Ryan Valade jumped on a first-pitch cutter from Dodgers left-hander Eric Lauer for a home run and a 2-0 lead.
Tampa Bay made it 3-0 in the second inning on a squeeze bunt from Taylor Walls that followed a sacrifice bunt from Nick Fortes.
Tucker tied it by himself in the bottom of the second. Mookie Betts led off the inning with a double and Max Muncy followed with a single. Tucker took the count full against Martinez before he lined his game-tying home run just over the wall in right.
Tucker preserved the tie in the top of the third when he threw out Jonathan Aranda at home plate when he was trying to score from second base on a single to right by Ben Williamson.
Lauer settled down to give up three runs on six hits over six innings with three walks and four strikeouts. Kyle Hurt (2-1) pitched a scoreless seventh to pick up the win, while left-hander Tanner Scott pitched a scoreless ninth for his eighth save.
After completing a 3-3 trip to Pittsburgh and Chicago to face the White Sox, the Dodgers returned home to improve to 10-2 at home since a May 13 victory over the San Francisco Giants.
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More to come on this story.