LOS ANGELES -- Kyle Tucker came to bat with the Dodgers down a run and the bases loaded in Monday's ninth inning and delivered, lining a base hit up the middle to collect his first walk-off hit with his new team. But his joy was delayed.
When Tucker reached first base, Shohei Ohtani had yet to cross the plate with the winning run. Dodger Stadium had yet to erupt. For a brief moment, panic set in.
"I was like, 'Did I get the score wrong?' Tucker said after sealing a 5-4, come-from-behind victory over the Miami Marlins. "But afterwards I saw everyone running out and it got loud and everything so I was like, 'OK, sweet, this is sick.'"
Tucker joined the Dodgers on a four-year, opt-out-heavy contract that pays him a whopping $55 million in 2026, more than any player in the sport. But the first 4½ weeks had been a struggle. He was dropped from second to fourth in the lineup. When this series began, his slash line stood at just .238/.325/.371. He was drawing walks and was often making solid contact, especially lately, but positive results were scant.
The Dodgers' hope is that this will get him going.
"He needed it," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. "He needed a win. And he's been grinding and trying to find some success and some good fortune."
The Dodgers went without an extra-base hit for the first eight innings Monday, but their offense came alive in the bottom of the ninth. Trailing 4-2, the Dodgers got back-to-back walks from Andy Pages and Dalton Rushing, setting up Ohtani's ground-rule double into the right-field corner to cut their deficit in half.
Marlins closer Pete Fairbanks exited because of a thumb injury after intentionally walking Freddie Freeman to load the bases and Dodgers catcher Will Smith struck out against Tyler Phillips, bringing up Tucker.
Tucker was hitless in his first four at-bats, but his last one resulted in a 103 mph lineout to right field. Against Phillips, Tucker fouled off a low splitter. When he got another one in almost the exact location, he sat on it a tad longer, sending it slightly to the right of second base for his fourth career walk-off hit -- and first since 2023, when he was with the Houston Astros.
Later, when Roberts entered the interview room for his postgame news conference, he began with a question:
"Did he smile?"
Tucker, about as stoic and reserved as they come, smiled slightly as he high-fived Dodgers first-base coach Chris Woodward. His smile got bigger when Freeman wrapped him in a hug. And slightly bigger as the rest of his new teammates approached him in jubilation.
"That's nice right there," Tucker said. "Any time I can contribute to the win, I'm happy for it. I mean the guys in this clubhouse, the coaching staff and everyone, has been great since I've been here. It's been nice being over here."