Trayce Thompson blasts three home runs in Dodgers victory
In his first start of the season, Trayce Thompson had a career-best performance, smashing three home runs and driving in eight runs in the Dodgers' 10-1 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Thompson didn’t have a great spring training, only collecting three hits in 31 at-bats. One thing Thompson was looking to improve on this year was hitting left-handed pitching better.
He got a chance against Madison Bumgarner in the first inning with the bases loaded.
Thompson crushed an 84 MPH changeup into the left-field pavilions, giving the Dodgers a 5-0 lead and essentially ending the game in the first.
Thompson also proved he can still hit right-handed pitching.
In the bottom of the fifth, Klay’s brother turned on a fastball right down the middle from reliever Kevin Ginkel, extending the Dodgers' lead to 8-1.
Then for good measure, Thompson hit a solo shot to left in the bottom of the eighth off right-hander Carlos Vargas, leaving him a two-run homer away from the mystical home run cycle.
"I just got some good pitches to hit and didn't miss them," Thompson said after the game. "We got a good group of guys and hitting is contagious"
Thompson’s three homers and eight RBI are both career highs for him. All three home runs had the same exit velocity, according to Baseball Savant.
Manager Dave Roberts joked he has developed a new "three-homer rule" and will keep Thompson in the lineup Sunday for the series finale.
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