Twenty-six-year-old Dodgers second baseman Gavin Lux entered Tuesday’s final 2024 Spring Training game against the Angels of Anaheim at Angel Stadium having appeared in 12 of the Dodgers 20 Spring Training games, with 35 at-bats. And even though he had 10 hits in those 35 ABs for a .257 batting average with seven runs scored and 5 RBIs, he hadn’t hit a home run this Spring; this after having missed the entire 2023 season for a torn ACL in his right knee.

He does now.

Although the Dodgers would eventually fall to the Halos by a score of 4-3, Lux’s 427-foot solo blast to center to lead off the top of the sixth tied the game at 3-3.

To be fair, the Kenosha, WI native and Dodgers first round draft pick in 2016 out of Indian Trail High School in Kenosha has never been known as a long ball hitter, with only 18 home runs in 904 at-bats over his five seasons with the Dodgers. That said, he does seem to pull an occasional rabbit out of his hat in key moments, such as his game-tying home run on Tuesday night.

A guy who is known for hitting a lot of homers, Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman, notched his fourth round-tripper of the Spring with his 410-foot solo jack to center with two outs in the top of the fourth inning, to give the Dodgers their first run on the night.

Dodgers catcher Will Smith immediately followed with his third home run of the Spring for back-to-back jacks, to pull to within one of the Angels.

Unfortunately, those three Dodgers home runs were all solo shots and accounted for three of only six Dodgers hits on the night.

With Spring Training now officially over, games are no longer meaningless.

Let’s get this party started!

Play Ball!