Outside of a measly one-run showing on Wednesday in Sacramento, the Dodgers offense has been rolling over their last six games.
Against the San Diego Padres on Thursday, they overcame a six-run deficit while tying a season-high with 17 hits in a 12-7 victory, marking the second time over their last three meetings that the Dodgers put up 17 hits over San Diego. One of the unsung heroes of Thursday was Kyle Tucker, connecting for four hits after walking four times in the finale against the Athletics
and having reached base in nine consecutive plate appearances.
While Tucker hasn’t yet lived up the expectations that his contract demands, Tucker has been finding his stride over his last seven games, slashing .417/.548/.583 with a home run and five RBI. Tucker spoke with Kirsten Watson of SportsNet LA about his four-hit performance following Thursday’s win, where he noted that he’s starting to play at the level that fans had been expecting from him.
“The last four games feel a lot better… Swing feels a lot better, and even my takes have been a lot better, so I’m happy with those.”
Dalton Rushing was the other Dodger with a four-hit game on Thursday, adding a home run to his credit and finishing a triple shy of the cycle.
The last 10 games have produced a whirlwind of results for Rushing, from having to be consoled by his manager to adding another huge night against San Diego, and he spoke with Watson about how Thursday’s performance gave him a boost of confidence in setting the table for the top of the lineup.
“It’s a boost of confidence. You feel ready for the next however many [games] you get. Anytime you can get your game started like that, it’s going to be a good game.”
The Dodgers offense had to do the heavy lifting after another frustrating start from Roki Sasaki, who tossed 89 pitches over three innings while allowing six earned runs and three home runs.
While Sasaki showed flashes of brilliance, especially in his two starts against the Angels, the right-hander has not only fallen back down to Earth, but cratered on the landing. Sasaki spoke with Watson about his rough performance, noting that while he felt his stuff wasn’t bad, there’s still some tinkering in store.
“They fouled off a lot of pitches, but maybe because my intensity of my fastball or maybe my command issues. I feel like I have to work on those things to improve.”
