Miguel Rojas Propels Dodgers To Series-opening Win Over Rays

Miguel Rojas had practiced his creation moves successful the Dodgers dugout agelong earlier he deed nan go-ahead, seventh-inning location run. Before nan game, he strutted astir nan concrete, astatine 1 constituent moreover grabbing Dalton Rushing, decked successful afloat catcher’s garb, to get hyped.

Rojas, who pinch-hit for Alex Freeland successful nan bottommost of nan seventh and homered to center, was much measured arsenic he crossed nan sheet pinch less pre-game, jitter-removing antics. His seasoned steadiness would’ve ne'er indicated that he deed a pinch-hit location tally only 1 different clip successful his career.

The Dodgers’ 4-3 triumph over Tampa Bay free nan Dodgers of their middling roadworthy performance. The squad had divided a six-game stint, capped by a Sunday nonaccomplishment to nan White Sox earlier returning home.

None recovered much contiguous occurrence than Kyle Tucker, who temporarily put his .227 batting mean connected nan travel successful nan rearview mirror. For really agelong remains a question. Tucker’s play truthful acold has looked much for illustration a teen testing retired their driver’s license: stopping and starting and stopping again. Yet everything seemed to beryllium workingwhen nan Dodgers (46-27) hit Tampa Bay (41-28).

Of nan 5 Dodgers who’ve played successful astatine slightest 60 games, Tucker has nan lowest play batting mean (.238). Still, he battled successful an eight-pitch duel successful nan 2nd inning earlier taking a changeup 384 feet complete nan right-center wall. His location tally tied nan people astatine 3 apiece, but Tucker, who went 2 for four, wasn’t finished.

The adjacent inning, Rays’ Ben Williamson deed a two-out azygous to Tucker, and Tampa’s Jonathan Aranda darted from 3rd toward home. Tucker lasered a shot from correct section to Rushing, who tagged Aranda retired connected nan slide.

Miguel Rojas acknowledges nan bullpen aft homering successful nan seventh inning.

(Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times)

The protect play helped buoy an different precarious commencement by pitcher Eric Lauer. The lefty had been undefeated successful his 3 starts pinch nan Dodgers, a ample departure from nan 1-5 grounds he had this play pinch nan Blue Jays. After starting his twelvemonth pinch Toronto pinch a 6.69 ERA, Lauer had dropped it to 2.76 pinch nan Dodgers.

But inconsistencies plagued Lauer’s start, ranging from nan 3 earned runs he gave up successful nan first 2 innings to a transportation timepiece usurpation successful nan fourth. While Lauer yet settled, nan bid of his fastball remained absent. He usually crosses nan onslaught area pinch 53.7% accuracy connected his fastball, getting batters to pursuit astir 37% of nan time. In nan Rays bid opener, Lauer only threw his four-seam successful nan area 42% of nan time, cutting his pursuit complaint to 23%.

In different words, nan champion transportation successful Lauer’s arsenal became 1 of his worst, and nan Rays took advantage. Junior Caminero doubled successful nan first inning and Ryan Vilade followed pinch a location tally connected a cutter, silencing a sold-out Dodger Stadium earlier nan crippled could moreover power up. The Rays tacked connected different tally connected a information squeeze, taking nan lead until Tucker’s location run. Lauer vanished his crippled aft six innings, giving up 3 earned runs and 3 walks, striking retired four.

Tampa Bay starter Nick Martinez fared astir arsenic well. The righty lasted 5 1/3 innings of three-run baseball, striking retired six batters and stepping one.

While location was activity connected nan bases for some starters, nan crippled lulled until nan seventh. A mates of feet separated Rushing’s foul shot from a location run. Reliever Steven Matz didn’t get truthful fortunate pinch Rojas, who gave nan Dodgers nan series-opening win.