Dalton Rushing, Kyle Tucker anchor huge comeback vs Padres

Dalton Rushing went 4-for-4 in the Thursday night 12–7 win against the Padres at UNIQLO Field at Dodger Stadium. (Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers)

by Senji Torrey

The Dodgers needed someone to shake the game awake on Thursday after going down six runs in the top of the second inning.

Luckily for them, Dalton Rushing was standing on the dugout steps.

But it would not be an intensity-filled swing that made the difference. No, as the “Mr. Rager” walk-up soundtrack faded as he stood in the batter’s box, the ever-impassioned catcher was … calm.

“(Manager Dave Roberts) saw something from his perspective, (and) I tinkered with it a little bit. I don’t think it changed the swing too much. I think it just created a little more comfort,” Rushing said. “I think it just helped me get back to owning what I’m good at and not trying to be a complete hitter any more than I am in the box.”

The two-run homer that followed sparked a 12–7 comeback Dodger win with contributions across the lineup. It was backed all the way, however, by the young catcher.

Rushing’s second-inning homer made him the sixth Dodger to reach double digits in the category, the most of any MLB team this season. He followed it up with a single and his first double since June 17. Both clocked in at 108 mph exit velocities, which rank among his top-10 hardest hits this season.

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The catcher’s 4-for-4 night marks the third time that he has notched four or more hits this season, which is also his career high. His final RBI single on the first pitch he saw in the eighth inning also matched his career high in RBI (four).

His first out of the game came amidst a sacrifice fly in the sixth inning that scored Kyle Tucker, who reached base all five times he came to the plate. The right fielder’s three singles and double earned him the 11th four-hit game of his career, first as a Dodger and first since June 28, 2025.

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Both Tucker and Rushing experienced similar struggles in June, slashing .233/.330/.349/.679 and .235/.325/.397/.722, respectively. However, Roberts believes their performances on Wednesday and Thursday already have the makings of a better month for the pair.

“Yes it is,” said Roberts when asked if this is the best he has seen of Tucker. “Yesterday taking four walks, and he’s not chasing, and he’s hunting his pitch, and that’s his DNA. And he did it tonight. … He’s just using the whole field, swinging at strikes, taking balls, and that’s what makes him great.”

“I think (Rushing) is doing a great job of going to his own,” Roberts added. “There’s a lot less chase, he’s a lot more calm in the batter’s box, and there’s a lot of hard contact going on.”

Rushing and Tucker were just two pieces of the puzzle for the Dodgers, who saw six players with an RBI and all but one player notch a hit on Thursday. In the fourth inning alone, six Dodgers launched hits and half of them sent in runs.

This included an Andy Pages double to level the score at six. The two RBI put him in sole possession of second place in the category in the National League with 62.

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For the fourth time in eight games, the Dodgers matched their season high in hits (17).

“Hitting is contagious, it’s very contagious on a team like this,” Rushing said. “One guy does it, the next guy — pass the bat, pass the bat. (It) felt like we batted through for four innings straight.”