Using one game to determine whether or not the Dodgers are finally over their excruciating week-long team-wide hitting slump is a bit presumptuous, but hey, you’ve got to start somewhere, right?

That start came on Tuesday evening when the Dodgers finally mounted a 10-run, 13-hit offensive attack over the AL East fourth-place Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida to win their second straight game by a score of 10-6. And while most of the buzz is about the (very) long home runs hit by Messrs. Trayce Thompson, Joc Pederson and Yasiel Puig, and the outstanding nine-strikeout pitching performance by Dodgers left-hander Scott Kazmir to notch his 100th career win and second of the season, it was recently anointed utility infielder-outfielder Howie Kendrick who is arguably the unsung hero of the night.

Heading into Tuesday night’s game, Kendrick was an uncharacteristic 8 for 56 (.143) at the plate with zero extra base hits and zero RBIs – this from a guy who traditionally tears it up in April and May. It got so bad that the 32-year-old Jacksonville, Florida native was becoming a topic for discussion on several national radio talk shows. But on Tuesday, Kendrick proved that the unwavering faith and confidence that Dodgers manager Dave Roberts had in him had paid off … big time.

After doubling in the top of the fifth inning, Kendrick would come around to score what would prove be the winning run in Tuesday night’s 10-6 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays.
(Photo courtesy of @SportsNetLA)

In addition to making several outstanding Kendrick-like defensive plays, Howie went 4 for 5 at the plate with a double, two RBIs and two runs scored and looked every bit as sharp as the Howie Kendrick we came to expect when the Dodgers re-signed him to a two-year / $20 million contract extension this past winter.

“Last homestand probably wasn’t our greatest,” Kendrick told reporters after the game. “But it does a team good when you go out and do something like we did tonight.”

Although Kendrick managed to raise his batting average by 54 points, he is still under the Mendoza line at .197. That being said, he most definitely has it heading in the right direction … finally.

“I’ve just been trying to do the same routine, the same thing I’ve always done in BP,” said Kendrick. “Sometimes you’re going to get hits, sometimes you aren’t. It just seems like the drought this time was a lot longer.”

But Kendrick wasn’t the only struggling Dodger to see his slump come to an end. Veteran Dodgers first baseman Adrian Gonzales, who was 0 for 21 over his last seven games – all at Dodger Stadium – went 2 for 5 on Tuesday night. And while neither of AGon’s hits went for extra bases, nor did he drive in any runs, his two base hits are an encouraging sign that he too is coming around at the plate; and as we all know, so goes AGon, so go the Dodgers.

If you had to pick the one guy who didn’t fair so well on Tuesday night it would have to be Dodgers left-hander J.P. Howell, who was with the Rays for six seasons between 2006 and 2012. After getting two very quick fly outs in the bottom of the ninth, Howell walked the next two batters and gave up a single to load the bases. He then hit Rays slugger Evan Longoria to turn a 10-5 laugher into bringing the tying run into the on-deck circle – i.e., it was now officially a save situation. As such, Roberts didn’t hesitate to bring in his star closer Kenley Jansen, who got pinch-hitter Corey Dickerson to fly out to left to end the game. It was Jansen’s MLB-leading 10th save of the season and extends his consecutive saves streak to 22 dating back to August 26 of 2015.

Game-2 of this brief five game interleague road trip will pit Dodgers left-hander Alex Wood (1-2, 4.82 ERA) against Rays left-hander Drew Smyly (1-3, 2.60 ERA). After an off day the team then travels north of the border for a three-game set against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Center before returning home on Monday, May 9 for what will be a nine-game homestand against the New York Mets for four games, the St. Louis Cardinals for three and the Anaheim Angels for two.

Let’s just hope that the Dodgers bats remain hot for the remainder of this road trip and even more so for the upcoming homestand. Heaven knows they’re going to need them to against the Mets, Cards and Angels – at Dodger Stadium or otherwise.