Kyle Tucker had his best game since signing with the Los Angeles Dodgers, helping lead the way to clinching the National League West division title on Thursday at Great American Ballpark with a win over the Cincinnati Reds.
Tucker went 4-for-5 with a single, two doubles and a home run while scoring two runs and driving in three. Tucker led off the eighth inning a triple shy of the cycle, and hit a ball into the left-center field gap.
The Dodgers were up 7-1 at the time, which gave Tucker some extra leeway into trying to take third to complete the cycle. But instead, he played it safe and settled for a double rather than risk being thrown out.
“I tried my best,” Tucker told David Vassegh on SportsNet LA. “I don’t think I was going to get there. I probably would’ve been thrown out halfway.”
Tucker was thrown out trying to reach third base on Tuesday as Elly De La Cruz trailed him and made the tag after receiving a throw from the first baseman. Perhaps it was still in the back of his mind, and he wanted to avoid another out at third base.
While trying for a triple wouldn’t have affected the outcome of the game, it’s still understandable that Tucker wanted to do the smart thing in what has been a difficult season.
Even with his recent hot stretch, Tucker is still hitting just .232 with a .718 on-base plus slugging percentage in 509 at-bats.
The Dodgers continued to stand by him during the year, and Tucker has appreciated all their support.
“This group is awesome,” he said. “Everyone supports each other through the ups and downs. We all know where we want to be at the end of the year, and we all try to help each other out to get there. This is a great group to play, to play behind. Everyone is super supportive and everyone knows what we’ve got to get done.”
Now, the Dodgers are reaping the rewards of their patience. The right fielder is hitting .375 in his last seven games, and over his last 15, he’s batting .280/.383/.680.
Kyle Tucker hopes for more celebrations
It’s not surprise the Dodgers are once again NL West champions, but it’s always an accomplishment worth celebrating. The Dodgers had their champagne party after clinching their 13th title in the last 14 years, but for Tucker, it was his first in blue.
“It’s great,” Tucker said. “I mean, from Day 1 in Spring Training we know our goal is to get to the World Series and win it. There’s a lot of steps and a lot of games before we get to that point, but just got to celebrate each moment. This is a great one, so hopefully we can do this plenty more times.”
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