Pinch hitter Miguel Rojas delivered a go-ahead home run in the seventh inning as the Los Angeles Dodgers opened a three-game series against the visiting Tampa Bay Rays with a 4-3 victory on Monday.
Kyle Tucker hit a three-run home run and threw out a runner at the plate as the Dodgers won a duel between teams with the second-best records in their respective leagues. Starter Eric Lauer gave up three runs over seven innings for Los Angeles, which overcame a 3-0 deficit.
Kyle Hurt (2-1) pitched a scoreless inning for the Dodgers, who improved to 10-2 at home since May 13. Tanner Scott tossed a scoreless ninth for his eighth save.
Ryan Vilade hit a home run for the Rays, while Yandy Diaz went 0-for-5 as his 27-game on-base streak ended. Vilade, Jonathan Aranda and Junior Caminero each had two hits for Tampa Bay, which took its third loss in four games. Reliever Steven Matz (4-4) gave up Rojas’ homer.
The Rays got an early jump on Lauer when Caminero doubled with two outs in the first inning and Vilade connected on a 422-foot home run to left field for a 2-0 lead.
Tampa Bay made it 3-0 in the second when Taylor Walls followed a sacrifice bunt from Nick Fortes with a squeeze bunt to score Austin Slater from third.
Mookie Betts doubled and Max Muncy singled to open the Dodgers’ half of the second inning. Tucker followed with a three-run home run to right field on a 3-2 changeup from Nick Martinez.
Tucker kept the game tied a half-inning later when he threw out Aranda at home plate after a single to right field by Ben Williamson.
The home run by Rojas in the seventh was his second of the season and the first Dodgers’ pinch-hit homer this year.
Martinez gave up three runs on five hits with one walk and six strikeouts over 5 1/3 innings.
Lauer permitted six hits and three walks while striking out four. He has a 3.22 ERA in four starts with the Dodgers after he was acquired from the Toronto Blue Jays on May 17.
