The veteran infielder snapped a two-month power drought with a high-stakes blast, validating Dave Roberts' bold tactical shift and fueling Los Angeles Dodgers' push for NL West dominance.
The last thing the Los Angeles Dodgers expected Miguel Rojas to do was go yard in the seventh inning, guiding them to a 4-3 victory.
Rojas' seventh-inning blast was the difference maker as LA took a competitive game one from the Tampa Bay Rays.
Now 46-27, the National League West Division clearly runs through the Dodgers, as it has time and time again. Manager Dave Roberts made a bold move in the seventh to pinch-hit Rojas for Alex Freeland, but it's one that paid off and gave the 37-year-old a newfound confidence.
Dave Roberts Discusses the Situation
"You never expect a home run, but I just knew that I liked the matchup and I felt he [Rojas] was going to put up a good at-bat," Roberts said. "He's really embraced this role, one of our team leaders, and it's good to keep him active and part of things."
Rojas has been in the big leagues since 2014 and has split time with the Dodgers and Miami Marlins. With a career .260 batting average, he's now 25 home runs shy of 400 in his illustrious career.
Rojas's First Homer Since April 20
Monday, April 20, in Colorado was the last time Rojas hit a home run. That was part of a terrific 3-for-3 game, but playing at elevation always makes things a bit easier for hitters. Regardless, he ended a nearly two-month long home run drought in Los Angeles and had plenty to say about it post-game.
"It's pretty cool that you're coming off the bench and you're doing your job," Rojas said. "I've been working really hard on trying to get better at that, because I've never been a really good pinch-hit hitter."
He continued, "The mentality for us bench players is to be the best that we can be and be the best players off the bench in the league, so we can have the kind of team that we're going to have."
'The first pitch was the best to hit'
Rojas's post-game quote speaks volumes as he smashed a 93 mph sinker to left center. Kyle Tucker's homer in the second inning came on an eight-pitch at-bat, but Rojas didn't come into the game looking to mess around.
His .572 career OPS as a pinch-hitter has plenty of room for improvement, but sometimes hitters are better when they're in a groove and don't have to get loose on a moment's notice. Either way, Rojas did his job in game one as the Dodgers look to win back-to-back games for the first time since June 5-6.
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