Kyle Tucker may finally be finding the offensive rhythm the Dodgers have been waiting to see.
Tucker is 12-for-29 over his last eight games, producing a .414 batting average with four home runs, eight extra-base hits and 10 RBIs.
His strongest performance of that stretch came Thursday, when he went 4-for-5 with a home run, two doubles and three RBIs in the Dodgers’ 8-2 victory over the Cincinnati Reds.
The win secured Los Angeles’ fifth consecutive NL West championship and its 13th division title in 14 seasons.
Tucker finished the afternoon one triple away from completing the cycle.
Tucker Powered Dodgers’ Division-Clinching Win
Tucker immediately put the Dodgers in control Thursday.
After Freddie Freeman walked in the first inning, Tucker launched a two-run home run against Brady Singer to give Los Angeles an early lead. It was his 16th homer of the season and his second of the four-game series in Cincinnati.
Tucker added an RBI double in the second inning before collecting a single and another double later in the game.
By his final plate appearance, a triple was the only hit separating him from the cycle.
Tucker drove the ball well enough for his second double but did not attempt to force a play at third base with the Dodgers already leading 7-1. He acknowledged afterward that trying to stretch the hit would probably have ended with him being thrown out.
“I tried my best,” Tucker said. “I don’t think I was going to get there. I probably would’ve been thrown out halfway.”
The personal milestone would have been memorable, but there was little reason to surrender an out in pursuit of it.
Tucker Has Nearly Hit For The Cycle Twice In One Week
Thursday was not Tucker’s only recent opportunity to complete a cycle.
He also finished one hit short against the Miami Marlins on Sept. 11, when he went 3-for-3 with a single, triple and grand slam. That time, he needed a double to complete the cycle.
Tucker drove in a season-high five runs during the Dodgers’ 6-2 victory.
He has now fallen one hit short of the cycle twice during his current eight-game surge—first needing a double in Miami and then a triple in Cincinnati.
More importantly, Tucker is driving the ball with considerably more authority.
Half of his 12 hits during the stretch have gone for either a home run or a double, and eight have produced extra bases. He has also contributed in several different ways, including stealing a base during Monday’s victory over Cincinnati.
Dodgers Needed This Version Of Tucker
Tucker’s first season with the Dodgers has not consistently matched the expectations that followed his arrival.
Even after his recent surge, he is batting .232 with a .331 on-base percentage and a .387 slugging percentage. Those numbers remain well below the standard established during the most productive seasons of his career.
October, however, offers an opportunity to change the way his first season in Los Angeles is remembered.
The Dodgers do not need Tucker to carry the lineup by himself. With Freeman, Mookie Betts, Teoscar Hernández, Max Muncy and eventually Shohei Ohtani surrounding him, the lineup already contains several hitters capable of changing a game.
A productive Tucker makes that group considerably deeper.
His ability to hit for power, control the strike zone and create opportunities on the bases gives the Dodgers another complete offensive threat near the top of the order. It also makes it much more difficult for opposing pitchers to navigate the lineup without facing consecutive dangerous left-handed bats.
Could Tucker Become The Difference-Maker In October?
Eight productive games do not erase the struggles that came before them.
They do, however, provide evidence that Tucker may be turning the corner at the right time.
Tucker also brings extensive postseason experience from his years with Houston, including a World Series championship in 2022. He understands the way October games change, how quickly individual at-bats grow in importance and what it takes to contribute during a championship run.
The Dodgers will enter the postseason with established stars throughout their lineup. The biggest difference may come from the players capable of extending that lineup beyond its obvious threats.
If Tucker carries his current form into October, opposing pitchers will have one more dangerous bat they cannot work around.
That could make him one of the most important pieces in the Dodgers’ pursuit of another championship.