'Game-changing' new Dodgers Tucker, Díaz live up to billing

LOS ANGELES -- The trumpets sounded over Dodger Stadium, ushering in the latest era of baseball in L.A.

The atmosphere at Chavez Ravine was already festive on Friday evening, when the Dodgers received their 2025 World Series rings, clad in gold-trimmed uniforms to celebrate their back-to-back championships. While the returning players from last year's team admired their rings and basked in the fans' adoration, the Dodgers' most high-profile newcomers -- right fielder Kyle Tucker and closer Edwin Díaz -- were on the sidelines, preparing for that night's game.

Later, when the eighth inning gave way to the ninth, Díaz's entrance song, "Narco," blared from the speakers, with the trills of the trumpets accompanied live by musician Tatiana Tate. It electrified the Dodger Stadium faithful, who soon went home happy following a 5-4 win over the D-backs that had the new guys' fingerprints all over it.

"The two acquisitions this offseason came up big tonight," manager Dave Roberts said.

The Dodgers addressed their biggest weaknesses from last year with Díaz and Tucker, the best available free agents in the bullpen and the outfield. And both delivered on Friday: Díaz converted his first save with a scoreless ninth inning, after Tucker knocked in the go-ahead run on an RBI single in the eighth.

Tucker and Díaz may have helped lift the Dodgers to victory, but the two of them drew motivation from the pregame ring ceremony.

"It was really fun to watch those guys getting their rings," Díaz said. "My goal for this year is being in that moment next year. … I know if this team stays healthy, we can do it again."

Said Tucker in a postgame interview on SportsNet LA: "That's the goal for everyone that’s playing right now, to get back to the World Series and win it."

The Dodgers opened their three-peat bid with a series win over the D-backs. Their offense looked relentless on Opening Day, but Arizona tamed it on Friday, holding L.A. to just two hits through seven innings: a solo homer from Alex Freeland and a go-ahead three-run blast from Mookie Betts, both of which came in the third.

After the Dodgers surged in front in the third, the D-backs came back to knot the score at 4-4, chasing right-hander Emmet Sheehan with one out in the fourth. Sheehan left runners on second and third for left-hander Jack Dreyer, who allowed both to score -- but after that, the L.A. bullpen that had been much-maligned last season matched Arizona's pitching staff, zero for zero.

Freeland broke up a stretch of 14 straight Dodgers hitters retired after Betts' long ball, leading off the eighth with a double. He moved over to third on a Shohei Ohtani groundout, then scored when Tucker laced a base hit to right field.

L.A.'s No. 8 prospect per MLB Pipeline, Freeland spent a month with the Dodgers last season but is somewhat of a new guy in his own right, having made his first Opening Day roster after winning the position battle at second base over Hyeseong Kim. His approach at the plate gave him the edge over Kim, and it showed when he set the table for the top of the lineup in a key moment.

"I think it’s just having quality at-bats and getting on base," Freeland said. "Shohei is the best hitter in all of MLB, so I try to get on base because there’s a high chance he’s going to hit me in. And we like runs.”

In the end, it was Tucker who put the Dodgers on top, cuing up the trumpets. Díaz worked around a walk in the ninth inning, but he struck out a pair and stranded the tying run on second base to slam the door on Arizona.

The Dodgers believed they had the requisite talent to go for a three-peat even without signing Díaz and Tucker this past offseason, but the two players add important dimensions to their team. Tucker considerably lengthens the lineup, bringing an impact bat with on-base ability to the two-hole. Díaz anchors the bullpen, allowing for more favorable matchups for L.A.'s leverage relievers on the bridge to the ninth inning.

There are two regular-season games down and 160 to go. But the Dodgers already feel like Tucker and Díaz will help take them to another level.

"We're looking to win games and that's the reason why we got these two guys," Miguel Rojas said. "They are game-changing in every aspect of the game."