
After a slow start offensively to begin his career with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Kyle Tucker is starting to look more like his old self at the plate.
The four-time All-Star went 3-for-5 with a two-run homer in the Dodgers’ 4-3 loss to the Colorado Rockies on Saturday, continuing a recent stretch of success.
“It’s not bad. I mean, some at-bats are better than others,” Tucker said on SportsNet LA. “I just need to try and carry it over to each at-bat, each game. Rather than just here and there. Hopefully I can continue doing that tomorrow as well.”
Tucker has now hit safely in four consecutive games with one double, two home runs and four RBI during the span. The 29-year-old has been focused on making better contact and wants to keep building on his progress.
Tucker, who previously shared that he has been missing too many hittable pitches, was encouraged by the fact that his home run came on the first pitch of his at-bat against Rockies starter Ryan Feltner.
“Yeah, I mean, I’ve fouled off pitches like that or swung through some,” Tucker began. “It wasn’t a bad pitch. It was a heater at the top of the zone, but I feel like I should be able to hit those pitches, stay on top and stay through them.
“Barrel them up more often. Just a good swing right there.”
Tucker has been hitting the ball in the air more frequently over the past week, which he believes is another sign of his swing getting closer to where he wants it.
“Like I said, I have had good swings. I just need to carry it over to the next at-bat and next at-bat, and the next game,” Tucker explained.
“Rather than just kind of sporadically throughout. I’ve had a few good at-bats, some good swings. I just need to do a better job of carrying it over to the next game.”
Through 20 games, Tucker is batting .260/.356/.403 with two doubles, three home runs and 13 RBI. He has raised his slugging percentage by nearly 100 points in the last week alone, and his on-base percentage remains strong as a result of already drawing 12 walks.
While there has been recent improvement and Tucker did do damage on the first pitch, he was similarly aggressive in his final at-bat on Saturday and flied out to strand the tying and go-ahead runners on base.
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