LOS ANGELES (AP) — Kyle Tucker got his first walk-off hit since signing a blockbuster deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The right fielder's game-ending single scored the tying and winning runs in a 5-4 victory over the Miami Marlins on Monday night after he was hitless in his first four at-bats, including a strikeout. It was his first walk-off hit since May 15, 2023, with Houston.

“It was great. He needed it,” manager Dave Roberts said. “He’s been grinding and trying to find some success and some good fortune. Big spot right there, walk-off at home, so that was great.”

Last week, Tucker was dropped to the cleanup spot from the No. 2 hole in an effort to get the slugger going.

“I’ve had some good contact with not a whole lot to show,” he said. “It’s tough sometimes just because you don’t see the results right away, but you've got to stick to it and just try to make as much quality contact as you can.”

The change in the order will be the plan going forward.

“Moving him down allowed the game to come to him a little bit slower and I think that has been a benefit,” Roberts said.

Tucker signed a $240 million, four-year contract with the Dodgers in January. He had yet to break out at the plate despite batting behind leadoff hitter Shohei Ohtani until swapping places with Freddie Freeman in the order.

Joining a star-laden clubhouse as a big-time free agent can unsettle some players.

“The transition certainly is unpredictable,” Roberts said. “He’s very consistent in how he approaches each day. He is traditionally a slow starter as I understand. He’s a pro and he wants to be out there and still plays good defense. I do think that a moment like this, even for a player that’s been around a long time, can kind of inspire more confidence in him.”

Tucker prefers to let his performance speak for itself. Playing alongside Ohtani, Freeman and Mookie Betts, he no longer has to carry a team or be its face the way he did with the Chicago Cubs.

Roberts said he's given up trying to read Tucker's poker face.

“That’s just who he is. It’s not personal to anybody,” the manager said. “Just doesn’t give anyone a whole lot.”

Instead of shaking Tucker's hand after his game-winning hit, Roberts pushed him in the chest, which provoked a smile.

Tucker barely reacted as Ohtani and Dalton Rushing scored the tying and winning runs.

“I hit it and started going to first and it wasn’t quite loud yet until we actually ended up winning the game,” Tucker said, “so it was like, did I get the score wrong? But afterwards I saw everyone running out and it got loud, so I was like, ‘Sweet, this is sick.’”

That qualified as a big reaction from Tucker.

“Guys are working on him. I think he’ll loosen up," Roberts said. “I think even Shohei when he first got here was a little bit more reserved compared to where he is now.”

Tucker said the players and coaching staff have made him feel at home.

“Anytime I can contribute to the win I’m happy,” he said. “It's been nice being over here.”

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LOS ANGELES (AP) — Kyle Tucker singled in the tying and go-ahead runs with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, rallying the Los Angeles Dodgers past the Miami Marlins 5-4 on Monday night in the series opener.

It was Tucker's only hit of the game after starting 0 for 4.

Jake Eder (1-0) earned his first major league victory, allowing one hit in one inning of relief.

The Dodgers improved to 3-7 when trailing after seven innings.

Marlins closer Pete Fairbanks (0-2) walked Andy Pages and he scored on Shohei Ohtani’s ground-rule double in the ninth, pulling the Dodgers to 4-3. Pinch-hitter Dalton Rushing walked and Freddie Freeman was intentionally walked to load the bases before Tyler Phillips replaced Fairbanks, who appeared to have a physical issue.

Phillips struck out Will Smith, leaving the Dodgers down to their last out. Tucker singled to center, scoring Ohtani and Rushing.

Liam Hicks gave the Marlins a 4-2 lead with a three-run homer off World Series MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto in the fifth.

Facing an 0-2 count, Hicks connected on a 92-mph splitter with two outs in the fifth that landed in the lower right-field seats, scoring Jakob Marsee and Xavier Edwards, who both walked.

Yamamoto gave up four runs and five hits over five innings in his shortest outing of the season. The right-hander struck out four and walked a season-high four. His streak of five consecutive quality starts to open the season ended.

Marlins starter Chris Paddack allowed two runs and four hits in four innings. He struck out one.

Down 4-2, the Dodgers left the bases loaded in the seventh. Pinch-hitter Alex Call and Ohtani singled and Freeman walked before Smith grounded out against reliever Andrew Nardi to end the inning.

The Marlins trailed 2-1 when Otto Lopez scored on shortstop Hyeseong Kim's fielding error in the fourth.

The Dodgers led 2-0 in the first. Teoscar Hernández's two-out RBI single scored Ohtani and Freeman, who singled back-to-back to open the inning.

Up next

Marlins RHP Janson Junk (1-2, 3.67 ERA) starts Tuesday against Dodgers RHP Shohei Ohtani (2-0, 0.38).

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LOS ANGELES (AP) — Dodgers closer Edwin Diaz said Monday he was feeling good, five days after undergoing elbow surgery to have five loose bodies removed from his pitching arm, and the right-hander is eager to return after the All-Star break in July.

Diaz sported three small bandages on his right elbow. He had surgery last Wednesday in Los Angeles.

“Everything went well,” he said. “I feel really good. I can move my arm really good right now. I’m really surprised because the surgery was on Wednesday."

The 32-year-old reliever said he's known about the loose bodies since 2012, when he was drafted by the Seattle Mariners out of Puerto Rico. Loose bodies are small fragments of bone or cartilage that have broken off and are floating freely in the joint space. They act like debris in the hinge joint and can potentially restrict movement.

“I knew I had it and never felt something weird with my arm,” he said. “It’s the first time in my career my arm is sore.”

Diaz didn't feel comfortable throwing on April 19 at Colorado. He failed to get an out in the eighth inning while allowing three runs and three hits to go with a walk in Los Angeles' 9-6 loss.

“My arm was feeling tired and tight,” he said. “Maybe that’s why the (velocity) was a little bit inconsistent.”

He told the team and was sent for imaging, which didn't reveal any further issues in his arm.

He has yet to get the stitches out and won't resume throwing for a couple of weeks.

“I’m going to work on my body," he said, "so I just want to come back strong and help this team to win.”

Diaz is 29-36 with a 2.91 ERA in 527 career games. The three-time All-Star has 257 saves in 300 opportunities with 849 strikeouts.

Early on, his legs were bothering him and he was given a couple of days off. Then his arm began bothering him.

Díaz is 1-0 with a 10.50 ERA in seven games for the Dodgers, and was still getting settled in with the team. He signed a $69 million, three-year deal in the offseason, leaving the New York Mets as a free agent.

“That (stinks) to miss the first half, but that's something I can't control,” he said. “My teammates, they are supporting me. They say, ‘Oh, take your time. We need you in October.’ But I want to come back as soon as possible and help this team to win games.”

With Diaz on the shelf, it means the trumpet has gone silent at Dodger Stadium. Jazz musician Tatiana Tate, who performed a live version of “Narco” for Diaz's popular entrance music, isn't needed.

“She will be out of work for a couple months,” Diaz said, “but I hope when I come back, she comes back and plays the trumpet for me.”

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LOS ANGELES (AP) — Justin Wrobleski tossed six scoreless innings to become the first Dodgers pitcher since 2009 to win his first four starts, and Los Angeles defeated the Chicago Cubs 6-0 on Sunday in the series finale.

Wrobleski (4-0) allowed four hits, struck out six and walked a season-high four on a career-high 109 pitches while facing the Cubs for the first time in his career. The left-hander matched Chad Billingsley, who won his first four starts 17 years ago.

Wrobleski and Cubs starter Shota Imanaga both struggled with command and control early. They threw a combined 100 pitches through the first two innings.

Shohei Ohtani hit an opposite-field home run on Hoby Milner's first pitch in the seventh, extending the Dodgers' lead to 6-0. The 382-foot shot to left-center cut against a gusty wind and snapped Ohtani's 12-game homerless streak. He was 3 for 4 with a walk and scored twice.

The Dodgers led 5-0 in the sixth. Dalton Rushing had an RBI single and Kyle Tucker walked and scored on a pickoff error by catcher Carson Kelly after Santiago Espinal whiffed on a bunt.

The Dodgers pitched around a lot of traffic, with the Cubs getting leadoff runners on in six of nine innings. Chicago was 0-for-20 with runners on base and left 12 stranded, a season-high on the road.

The Dodgers led 3-0 in the first. Ohtani walked, stole second, took third on Kelly's initial throwing error and scored on Andy Pages' sacrifice fly. Miguel Rojas added a two-run double with two outs.

Wrobleski pitched out of a bases-loaded jam in the second. Michael Busch doubled and with one out, Wrobleski issued back-to-back walks to load the bases for Nico Hoerner, who struck out. Alex Bregman grounded out to shortstop to end the threat.

Imanaga (2-2) gave up five runs and six hits in 5 1/3 innings. The left-hander struck out six and walked three. He continued his dominance of Freddie Freeman, who has one hit in 12 at-bats, with five strikeouts.

Up next

Cubs: LHP Matthew Boyd (1-1, 5.79 ERA) starts Monday's series opener in San Diego against Padres RHP Randy Vásquez (2-0, 1.88).

Dodgers: RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto (2-2, 2.48) starts Monday at home against Miami Marlins RHP Chris Paddack (0-4, 6.38) in the series opener.

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LOS ANGELES (AP) — Michael Conforto enjoyed a highlight before the Chicago Cubs opened a three-game series against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday night.

The Cubs' backup outfielder was visited by his former Dodgers teammates who brought quite a gift — a 2025 World Series ring. The Dodgers beat the Toronto Blue Jays in seven games to win a second straight championship.

“Opening it, putting it on — one of the coolest moments in my baseball career, for sure,” Conforto said. “Right up there with dogpiling after Game 7.”

Conforto struggled mightily with the Dodgers, batting a career-worst .199 with 121 strikeouts playing on a $17 million, one-year deal. He didn't make the postseason roster and the team later let his contract expire.

But all that was forgotten during the brief pregame reunion.

“Really cool to see all the guys and just have them be excited for me to get my ring,” he said.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said, “I will definitely find Michael and congratulate him. I know he didn’t perform the way that people would have liked and he would have liked, but I loved him on the team. I loved what he brought to the Dodgers."

Conforto showed the gaudy ring that contains another ring inside it and the box featuring video highlights of the 2025 season to a couple teammates at his locker in the visiting clubhouse.

“It’s totally the way L.A. does it. That’s how they do things, different and grand,” he said. “It’s really cool that they put a second ring in there so you can wear it a little bit more low-key.”

There was nothing low-key about Conforto's time in Los Angeles. Agitated fans practically begged Roberts to leave him out of the lineup, but Conforto appeared in 138 games, mostly in left field. He had 36 RBIs, 56 walks and a .638 OPS.

“Naturally, I wanted to go over there and slug with the superstars,” he said of being on a team with Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman and Mookie Betts, among others. “I put my energy in a place that kind of put me at a disadvantage. Those are good lessons to bring with me and things I think about a lot.”

Conforto signed a minor-league deal with the Cubs and made the opening day roster. He's hitting .304 in 23 at-bats, with seven hits, five RBIs, seven walks and 10 strikeouts.

His disappointing year in Los Angeles taught Conforto an important lesson about priorities.

“My focus needed to be on moving runners, having good at bats, getting guys in from third with less than two outs, the little baseball things, and less about having a big swing, hitting the homer,” he said. “Those things happen organically. When you’re going out there and trying to do it, it’s going to be really hard for you.”

Conforto credits Roberts for backing him while at the same time telling him the truth.

“He stuck with me for a long time and continued to be positive with me. At the same time, he was real honest about what he needed to see from me and that’s all you can ask for as a player,” Conforto said. “It helped pull me out of the huge slump that I was in and I made myself valuable enough to keep around. I owe that to him for sticking with me.”

His mother, Tracie Ruiz-Conforto, won two gold medals at the 1984 Los Angeles Games, when artistic swimming made its Olympic debut.

“Finally have something that is on the same level,” Conforto said, “but she’s got two gold, so I got to get another ring.”

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