Catwalk part of a cakewalk
Thompson’s home run lands 100 feet above the playing field at domed stadium.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Trayce Thompson checked his text messages after the game. Until then, he had not known that the home run he hit here Tuesday never did come down.
It landed on Catwalk C, about 100 feet above the playing f ield in the domed stadium. Enrique Hernandez and Justin Turner joked about scampering onto the catwalk and trying to retrieve the ball, and Thompson said he just might come out early Wednesday.
“Maybe I’ll go see if it’s up there,” he said.
Yasiel Puig, who obliterated a pitch for a home run and celebrated by f linging his bat aside, marveled at Thompson’s what-goes- upmight-not- come- down home run.
“Never seen anything like that,” Puig said.
The Dodgers needed a night like that, when the power that had propelled them last season and deserted them this season made a grand return. Thompson, Puig and Joc Pederson all homered — none measured
at less than 416 feet — as the Dodgers pounded the Tampa Bay Rays, 10- 5.
For the first time this season, the Dodgers hit three home runs. After totaling 10 runs in the final six games of their homestand, the Dodgers scored 10 on the f irst game of this trip.
Thompson drove in a career- high four runs. Adrian Gonzalez ended a career- worst 0- for- 21 streak with two hits. Puig had his f irst two- hit game since April 14.
Howie Kendrick had four hits, with his batting average jumping from .143 to .197. He delivered his first extra- base hit and first run batted in this season.
Kendrick, a 10- year veteran with a career .293 average, said his track record made him confident his numbers would be there in the end, even if this start was exceptionally slow.
“It seemed like the drought this time was a lot longer,” he said.
Kendrick said he had spoken with Ken Ravizza, a sports psychologist whom he met while with the Angels and whom he regularly consults.
“Why not reach out and try to get better?” Kendrick said. “You’re going to go through slumps. What do you do to get out of it?”
Scott Kazmir worked 62⁄ innings 3 for the victory, giving up four runs but striking out nine. The Dodgers handed J. P. Howell a 10- 4 lead in the ninth inning, but four consecutive batters reached base off him with two out on two walks, a single and a hit batter, and Kenley Jansen had to be rushed in for the save.
The story was the offense, though. Not so much Kendrick, because he hits. The power had gone missing.
The Dodgers led the National League in home runs last year. Even the Colorado Rockies, with half their games at Coors Field, did not hit as many home runs as the Dodgers.
This year, with almost the identical cast on offense, the Dodgers en- tered play Tuesday next- to- last in the league in home runs. The Atlanta Braves are the only NL team with fewer home runs, and they are not even trying to win.
“I don’t think it’s something to be alarmed about,” Dodgers Manager Dave Roberts said. “I think it’s something to be encouraged about.”
He explained that he does not see a poor offense. He sees what he called an “underperforming” one. The season is long, he said, and the numbers would even out. The power outages would be balanced by power surges.
That might be. But, after a homestand in which the Dodgers averaged fewer than two runs per game, Roberts admitted that 10 looked mighty nice.
“We really needed this night for their confidence,” Roberts said. “Hitting is contagious. Hopefully, we can carry it over.”