After completing their road trip, the Dodgers returned home to a series that figured to be another test facing the Rays. Indeed, the team fell behind early, but they fought back to tie things behind Kyle Tucker, which weirdly seemed to cause both pitchers to lock in. The pens then battled late until — and stop me if you’ve heard this before — Miguel Rojas stepped up and yanked a homer over the wall in left to give the Dodgers a 4-3 win.
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For the Dodgers it was Eric Lauer continuing to get starts, and continuing to show why he’s a major leaguer but maybe without much margin for error.
After he got the first two outs of the 1st, he gave up a laser double and then Ryan Vilade destroyed a ball to left for a 2-0 Rays lead.
109.7 off the bat my goodness Ryan pic.twitter.com/N7vbX8KLoB
— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) June 16, 2026
In the 2nd, they added on behind a single, a walk, a sac bunt, and then a safety squeeze sac bunt for a run to make it 3-0 Rays.
Fresh squeezed run pic.twitter.com/DoyoLLk4tf
— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) June 16, 2026
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For a moment it looked like the game might get out of hand, but while Rays starter Nick Martinez cruised through a clean 1st, the Dodgers made it a game again as Mookie Betts led off the 2nd with a double, Max Muncy hit an infield single, and Kyle Tucker yoinked his sixth homer of the season to tie things up at 3-3.
KYLE FOR THREE. pic.twitter.com/w4T0VBW12Y
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) June 16, 2026
Martinez rebounded by retiring the next eight batters until a single and double with two outs in the 4th, but nothing came from that chance.
He got a clean 5th, then issued a walk to start the 6th and was only allowed to get the next batter before their pen entered. A walk immediately followed to put a pair on again, but two strikeouts killed off that rally.
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The game had remained tied due to Lauer also settling in.
He hit a batter to start the 3rd, which advanced to second on a groundout, and he tried to score on a two-out single, but it was Tucker with the throw from right to cut him down at the plate to keep the score tied.
Hopefully this is the Tucker game, as he cuts down a runner at the plate to end the 3rd. pic.twitter.com/jvoSjOuSsN
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) June 16, 2026
This was … weird.
Would be an interesting talking point if Rushing dropped this or something. pic.twitter.com/yZSs7FihNN
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) June 16, 2026
He then issued just a two-out walk in the 4th, worked around a pair of one-out singles in the 5th, and then faced the minimum in the 6th after seeing a lead-off walk erased by a double play.
Kinda unreal, honestly: 6 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 BB, 4 K, 93 Pitches.
For the pen it was Kyle Hurt in the 7th, who gave up a two-out single but struck out two to keep things knotted still.
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Thankfully that changed in the other half of the 7th, as Miguel Rojas stepped up and hit a solo shot to left to give the Dodgers a 4-3 lead.
Miggy Ro knows clutch! pic.twitter.com/fRPpO8Spnz
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) June 16, 2026
The Dodgers weren’t able to add on in the 8th, as a lead-off single was stranded. Still, a lead.
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To protect that lead was Will Klein in the 8th, and he got unlucky with a check-swing single to start, but then got a pair of groundouts that advanced the runner a base each. Dave Roberts decided to go with Alex Vesia for the final out, and he got just that to end the chance.
Tanner Scott entered for the save in the 9th and got some help from Mookie at short to start.
Great play by Mookie deep in the hole. pic.twitter.com/px4aNyyoZ8
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) June 16, 2026
He then got a fortunate call for strike three after the Rays used their last challenge, and then got another groundout for the save.
Cash looked so fucking confused, lmfao. https://t.co/B0DXRGWSH1 pic.twitter.com/YO7IsdpgAo
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) June 16, 2026
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46-27, as they’ve alternated wins and losses for the last eight games.
The series continues tomorrow at 4:10 PM HT/7:10 PM PT/10:10 PM ET with Justin Wrobleski looking to continue his breakout season against Drew Rasmussen.
