For Second Time in Less Than 24 Hours, Matt Kemp Delivers Game-Winning Hit as Dodgers Defeat D-Backs to Move Into 1st Place

For the second day in a row, Matt Kemp put the Dodgers on his back.

Less than 24 hours after he hit the game-winning three-run homer off Archie Bradley in the bottom of the eighth inning on Saturday night, Kemp delivered the knockout blow against Bradley in Round Two. 

With runners on second and third and one out in the bottom of the ninth inning, Kemp hit a first-pitch fastball from Bradley off the centerfield wall for the game-winning, walk-off, two-run double and the Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Arizona Diamondbacks, 3-2, to move into sole posession of first place atop the NL West.

"When I was walking up to the plate they were showing what happened last night," said Kemp following the victory. "So in my mind, I'm not thinking about hitting a home run, but I'm just trying to get that run in from third base, and it just so happened I got two."

Kemp's one-out drive off the wall in left-center field put Los Angeles alone atop the West for the first time since Aug. 7. The Dodgers beat the Diamondbacks by identical 3-2 scores three days in a row, after Arizona won the series opener at Dodger Stadium.

"Those are two big wins we got," said Kemp. "I think everybody wants to be in that big moment. They don't always work out the way you want them to, but when they do, they feel really good."

It was the 11th career walk-off hit for Kemp and first of the season.

Brad Boxberger (2-5) started the ninth and put the potential tying and go-ahead runs on with consecutive walks to pinch-hitter Alex Verdugo and Max Muncy. The runners advanced on Enrique Hernandez's sacrifice bunt and set up Kemp, who pinch-hit in the seventh and stayed in the game.

"I was a little surprised that they took out Boxberger," admitted Kemp who is 8-for-16 with three doubles, a triple, a home run and nine RBI in his career against Bradley. "But I don't care, we won the game." 

Daniel Descalso homered leading off the ninth to put Arizona ahead 2-1. Descalso went deep to center field off Caleb Ferguson with the ball just eluding Cody Bellinger's glove as he reached over the wall.

"When I jumped, I jumped a litte late it was over my head," said Bellinger of Descalso's homer. "I was close all day, but unfortunately that happens. Thankfully, our team picked us up."

Kenley Jansen (1-5) took over for Ferguson and got three outs.

"I stayed focused. All I want is to hold the lead at one," said Jansen of keeping it a one-run game after Ferguson gave up the go-ahead homer to Descalso. "If we hold the lead to one, with the ball club we have, we have a good shot to win and today we ended up winning the ballgame."

The D-backs tied it at 1-1 on Alex Avila's bases-loaded sacrifice fly in the seventh.

Rookie Walker Buehler gave up a leadoff single to Paul Goldschmidt and a one-out walk to Descalso walked. Ryan Madson came on in his Dodgers debut after being acquired from the Nationals and promptly loaded the bases on a walk to Ketel Marte.

Bellinger caught Avila's fly and fired home. Goldschmidt's left leg caught the corner on the plate before catcher Yasmani Grandal tagged his upper body.

"It was good," Bellinger said of the throw to the plate. "I just tried to get behind it as much as I could and throw it as hard as I could and it was on target."

Goldschmidt was called out, but Arizona challenged it. After a 2 1/2-minute review, it was overturned, tying the game as Dodgers fans booed.

Muncy hit his 31st homer leading off the fifth for a 1-0 lead. The ball landed in the D-backs' bullpen in right, ending Arizona starter Clay Buchholz's streak of not allowing a run at 19 innings. Oddly, 24 of Muncy's 31 homers this season have been solo shots.

Buehler allowed one run and two hits in 6 1/3 innings. He tied his career high with nine strikeouts and walked three. He had two of the Dodgers' five hits, getting a pair of singles, his first multi-hit game of his career.

Buehler has been sensational at home this season, posting a 2.32 ERA with 69 strikeouts and 12 walks at Dodger Stadium.

The victory was the fifth walk-off win for Los Angeles this season, and their eighth win in their last nine games.

The Dodgers won the series 3-1, against their NL West rivals, and took their first ever four-game series against Arizona at Dodger Stadium.

The Dodgers and Diamondbacks will meet three more times at Chase Field, Sept. 24-26 in what is sure to be an exciting series that could decide the division.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Dodgers: Recalled RHP Brock Stewart from Triple-A Oklahoma City and placed him on 60-day DL with a right oblique strain. ... RHP Ross Stripling (low back inflammation) had a bullpen in which he threw 20 pitches, rested and then threw another 25. He's set for a simulated game Wednesday against Dodgers hitters and could be activated late next week.

UP NEXT

D-backs: RHP Zack Godley (14-7, 4.42 ERA) starts Monday at San Diego in the opener of a two-game set. He is just shy of career highs in innings and strikeouts.

Dodgers: LHP Alex Wood (8-6, 3.42) starts Monday in the opener of a three-game series against the Mets and RHP Jacob deGrom (9-8, 1.68).