Kyle Tucker mercilessly dragged by Dodgers fans in another dreadful home game
Kyle Tucker’s nightmare first season with the Los Angeles Dodgers reached a new low on Sunday, and the Dodger Stadium crowd made sure he heard about it.The $240 million outfielder was showered with boos after failing to haul in a catchable Jackson Chourio fly ball near the warning track during the Dodgers’ 6-2 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers.The defensive miscue came after Tucker had already gone hitless in three at-bats, completing an 0-for-19 homestand.For a fan base already frustrated by the Dodgers’ recent offensive collapse, the moment apparently became one mistake too many.Tucker signed a four-year, $240 million contract in January after establishing himself as one of baseball’s most consistent offensive players.
Instead, he has struggled to resemble that version of himself, particularly at Dodger Stadium.His home numbers have become startling.Tucker is batting below .200 in Los Angeles with just two home runs, and his home OPS entered the weekend nearly 300 points below his road mark.
Manager Dave Roberts even kept him out of Saturday’s lineup, saying he could see the “frustration” building as Tucker’s home struggles continued.Sunday did nothing to alleviate it.The boos were notable for another reason: Tucker is becoming accustomed to hearing them.He was hammered by Cubs fans earlier this month during his first trip back to Wrigley Field since leaving Chicago in free agency.Tucker had also heard boos during a return to Houston earlier this season.Those hostile receptions came from former fan bases.Sunday’s came from his own.And the Dodgers’ recent slide has removed some of the protection Tucker enjoyed earlier in the year.
Los Angeles has now lost 11 of 16 games since July 31 and dropped three of four against Milwaukee, surrendering the season-series tiebreaker in a race where postseason seeding could become important.“This has been four, five, six weeks of below-average production from our offense,” Roberts said after Sunday’s loss...