Kyle Tucker relishes first Wrigley Field homer with Cubs: ‘I feel comfortable’
Kyle Tucker has made an instant impact on the Chicago Cubs’ offense. It’s what star players do.
The 28-year-old slugger already leads the National League in a plethora of categories, including RBI (15), hits (15) and runs scored (13). A home run Sunday — his first at Wrigley Field — tied him for the most in the NL (5) along with the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Tommy Edman and Arizona Diamondbacks’ Eugenio Suarez. Tucker’s .391/.548/.913 slash line over the second week of the season also earned him MLB’s NL Player of the Week nod.
“It was nice … I feel comfortable up there,” Tucker said after Sunday’s game about his blast, which gave the Cubs a 7-3 lead over the San Diego Padres in the second inning. “Obviously I would rather finish with a win, but I’m putting together some good at-bats and trying to square up the ball as much as I can.”
The Cubs couldn’t maintain that four-run lead, though, allowing the go-ahead run to slip through in the ninth on first baseman Justin Turner’s missed-catch error on a potential inning-ending double play.
Still, Tucker likes what he has seen so far from a Cubs offense that has scored 77 runs — tying them with the New York Yankees for the most in MLB.
“I think overall, we’ve been playing really good baseball so far,” Tucker said.
[MORE: How Jed Hoyer, Cubs feel on potential Kyle Tucker contract extension]The Cubs also lead MLB in hits (104), walks (66) and at-bats (423). Tucker’s leadership undoubtedly is boosting those metrics, but he praised the team’s collective effort in becoming such a prolific offense.
“Everyone’s here to help each other get better and win games,” Tucker said. “I learn just as much watching everyone as some of them might be watching me.”