Tucker leaves no pitch safe, crushes three homers in career night
For the primary time in his six-year profession, the All-Star outfielder belted three house runs in a 6-4 victory on Friday night time towards the A’s. Tucker blasted a no-doubt solo shot to the right-field bleachers on the Coliseum within the first, hit a formidable two-run blast within the fifth after which snuck out one other solo shot within the seventh.
So, when’s the final time he hit three dingers in a recreation?
“I don’t know, maybe high school,” Tucker mentioned. “Wish it could happen more.”
No pitch was protected Friday night time. The first homer got here on a fastball, the second on a slider and the third a changeup.
It’s additionally value noting that Tucker’s first two house runs got here towards A’s southpaw JP Sears. Remarkably, the left-handed-hitting Tucker is faring higher towards lefties (.359 batting common) than he’s towards righties (.272) this season.
Asked to elucidate his success towards southpaws, Tucker mentioned it might need one thing to do with dealing with his left-handed older brother as a child within the yard. Preston Tucker, who’s seven years Kyle’s senior, is at present on the 10-day injured checklist (plantar fasciitis) within the Padres’ group.
“In terms of facing a lefty or a righty, I don’t really mind it,” Tucker mentioned. “I think that’s a big part of just playing Wiffle ball in the backyard with my brother being a lefty.”
Heck, you could possibly even say that Tucker was simply 15 ft away from a four-homer night time. In the third inning, he recorded a loud out to lifeless middle that traveled 386 ft and left his bat at 101 mph. Tucker mentioned he’s merely attempting to barrel up pitches.
The 26-year-old slugger has been scorching the ball in July, as he now totes a .400/.479/.800 slash line with six house runs and 19 RBIs this month.
“You can’t get much more locked in than that,” supervisor Dusty Baker mentioned of Tucker. “You don’t worry about it. When you get locked in, you just swing.”
All six runs for the Astros got here by way of the lengthy ball Friday night time. Alex Bregman additionally notched a two-run shot off Sears within the third inning, because the ball bounced off the highest of the tall wall in left-center area earlier than disappearing behind the fence.
“I didn’t feel anything tonight,” Valdez mentioned via interpreter Jenloy Herrera. “That was something I was thinking about just trying to make sure I didn’t pull it again. But the biggest thing was that my pitches weren’t doing what I wanted them to do today.”
Valdez completed 5 innings, giving up 4 earned runs on six hits and two walks whereas placing out 4.
Phil Maton, Rafael Montero and Hector Neris every tossed scoreless innings – Neris obtained an enormous inning-ending double play after strolling his first two batters – earlier than nearer Ryan Pressly got here in for the ninth. It marked the primary time Pressly pitched in three straight days since Sept. 17-19, 2021, however the right-hander instructed Baker that he felt good to go earlier than the sport.
Pressly nailed down the save, the a hundredth of his profession and 99th in an Astros uniform. The 34-year-old hardly ever completed video games all through his first seven seasons with the Twins and Astros, however he has developed right into a strong nearer since 2020.
“Whenever you get something like that, it’s pretty special for anybody to get 100 of anything,” Pressly mentioned. “I never thought I’d get here, to be honest with you.”
The large night time from Tucker and Co. got here on the identical night when the Rangers misplaced 11-5 in Arlington, pulling the Astros inside three video games again of the American League West lead. Considering stars like Alvarez (proper indirect pressure) and Jose Altuve (left indirect pressure) may return within the coming days or even weeks, together with starter José Urquidy (proper shoulder irritation), the Astros are trending up with the Aug. 1 Trade Deadline approaching.
“Getting Altuve back, getting Yordan back fresh and Urquidy’s making progress — it’s like making three trades right there,” Baker mentioned.
