Opening day notes: Kyle Tucker, Will Smith, Miguel Rojas
Los Angeles, CA - March 26: Kyle Tucker #23 of the Los Angeles Dodgers watches his RBI double as teammate Shohei Ohtani (not pictured) scores against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the seventh inning of an opening day baseball game at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Thursday, March 26, 2026. (Photo by Keith Birmingham/MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-News via Getty Images) | MediaNews Group via Getty Images There is no better feeling than starting the season with a win, and that’s how the Dodgers began the 2026 season, defeating the Arizona Diamondbacks on Thursday 8-2. The Dodgers used a pair of four-run innings in the bottom of the fifth and seventh innings to erase their brief deficit against Arizona, and Kyle Tucker began the rally in the seventh with an RBI double to give him his first hit in a Dodger uniform.
He later scored on a Mookie Betts single and finished the night 1-4 with a double, a walk and an RBI. Tucker spoke with Bob Costas at NBC about getting his first game as a Dodger under his belt and about playing for a team that has their aspirations set on a third consecutive championship. “It feels great,” Tucker said.
“It started off well tonight. The audience— the fans coming out to and supporting us— is unbelievable… There’s some phenomenal players on this roster. They love the city of L.
A. and try to do the best for everyone that comes out and supports us. ” Links Will Smith ended his night on Thursday the same way he ended the 2025 World Series— with a home run.
Smith’s home run capped off the second four-run inning for the Dodgers, and the All-Star catcher finished 2-4 with three RBI. Smith spoke with David Vassegh of AM 570 post-game about the depth of this new-look Dodgers lineup, noting that there are zero weaknesses from top to bottom. “It’s a really tough lineup,” Smith said.