LOS ANGELES — From the crack of the bat, there was little doubt that Kyle Tucker had hit one out of the yard. It had been a long time since he had taken a swing like that.
Tucker’s solo homer in the sixth inning of the Dodgers’ 5-3 series-opening victory over the Nationals on Friday night was his first long ball since Aug. 8 at Chase Field. It had been even longer since he had last hit one out at Dodger Stadium, going all the way back to June 15.
“It was nice. Just able to contribute right there and put a good swing on the ball and have it go out,” Tucker said. “Overall as a team, just kind of grinded through the at-bats through the game and put up some run support for Blake [Snell] and the bullpen as well.”
The first season of Tucker’s four-year, $240 million contract with the Dodgers has been a disappointing one. Through Friday’s action, the right fielder is hitting .226 with a .686 OPS, both of which are on track to be career-worst marks.
With one month remaining until the postseason, the Dodgers want to see Tucker competing at the plate just like he did on Friday night. His season numbers are what they are, but he could still get hot at the right time — and sometimes all it takes is one swing.
“He needed it,” manager Dave Roberts said. “I think the last week he’s been competing, getting his walks. There haven’t been hits to show for his work. But he’s working hard down below — stuff in the weight room, the cage and trying to dial some things in. To hit the ball in the stands, I think that was really good for him.”
To begin the season, Tucker was the Dodgers’ No. 2 hitter, but he has gradually slipped down to the bottom half of the order as the season has gone on. With the Nationals starting left-hander Jackson Kent, Tucker hit eighth, the lowest in the lineup he has started a game since 2020.
Tucker’s struggles have been especially apparent at Dodger Stadium. He entered Friday with a .547 OPS at the ballpark, the lowest such mark among Major Leaguers with at least 250 home plate appearances.
When Tucker took Nationals right-hander Luis Perales deep, it was just his third homer at home this season, and his 12th overall. The solo blast came off his bat at 103.3 mph and traveled a Statcast-projected 377 feet to right field. The 99.1 mph four-seamer from Perales is the hardest-thrown pitch Tucker has homered off this season.
“Being able to stay inside and through a ball, 99 up and in, it puts me in a good spot to have success,” Tucker said. “So just trying to replicate that again tomorrow.”
Said Roberts: “It’s been a while since he’s turned around a fastball like that. Like I said, he’s working his tail off. You can see that genuine smile entering the dugout.”
Now that the calendar has flipped to September, Tucker is out of time to turn around his season. But he can still use the final month of the regular season to show the Dodgers that he has more in there for the most meaningful games of the year.
For some players, it can be mentally freeing to know that the slate is wiped clean when the postseason comes. Tucker has tried not to let his approach change along with the calendar, even though it has yet to yield the consistent results he’s seeking.
“I just try to treat every game the same, and just try and go out there and win the game regardless of the situation,” Tucker said. “I just try and go up there and take it day by day.”