Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Kyle Tucker had the biggest moment of his career in Dodger Blue thus far on Monday night, driving in the tying and winning runs with the bases loaded two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning.
The moment electrified Dodger Stadium, though Tucker was a bit confused by the crowd’s reaction, at least at first.
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Tucker, who’d had some struggles at the plate and was moved down in the order after starting the season in the No. 2 spot, indicated that he expected a louder reaction upon making contact, as reported by Katie Woo of The Athletic.
That hit, which got through the middle of the infield and into center field, allowed Dalton Rushing to score from third base to tie the game and Shohei Ohtani to score from second, giving the Dodgers a walk-off win.
“It wasn’t quite loud yet until we actually ended up winning the game there and Sho scored. So I was like, ‘Did I get the score wrong?’” Tucker said with a chuckle after the game. “But afterwards I saw everyone running out and it got loud and everything so I was like, ‘OK, sweet, this is sick.’”
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From a fan’s perspective, it makes sense that they’d save their loudest yell for when Ohtani scored, meaning the game was fully in hand and over.
But running down the first-base line, it must have been a strange feeling for Tucker to expect a roar and not get it.
Luckily, he only had to wait a few more seconds before he received the full measure of the crowd’s love and his teammates’ appreciation.
The Dodgers are hosting the Marlins again Tuesday night for the second of their three-game series.
Ohtani (2-0) is getting the start, though he’s not hitting. Thus far in 2026, he’s been dominant on the mound.
First pitch is set for 7:10 p.m. PT.
