Matt Kemp silenced the doubters.
Admittedly, I was one of those doubters. In his last 10 games, he had zero RBI and was hitless in situations with runners in scoring position. Over his last 30 games, Kemp was batting .158 with 26 strikeouts.
Kemp changed all that with one swing on Saturday, as he helped me and countless others place the proverbial foot in our mouths, with a game-winning, three-run homer in the bottom of the eighth inning in the Los Angeles Dodgers, 3-2, victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks at Dodger Stadium.
The victory lifted the Dodgers into a first place tie with the Snakes, a seemingly improbable rise after they fell 4.5 games behind just a week ago.
"I'm not surprised and very impressed," said Dodgers manager Dave Roberts. "Our guys didn't waver. Each day they focused on each game and didn't worry about the other clubs and how they played or whether they won or lost. We're playing much better baseball and we find ourselves back atop the division and we need to keep moving forward."
With fans on their feet chanting "Let's go Dodgers," Kemp took two quick strikes from Archie Bradley before launching his 19th homer into center field for a 3-2 lead.
"I've faced him a couple times and usually see him pretty well," said Kemp of the at-bat against Bradley. "He doubled up with the curveball and I was just trying to react to something and hit it hard. He gave me something to hit, and I put a good swing on it."
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The homer was Kemp's sixth game-winning RBi this season.
"I think that was definitely one of the most important ones this year," said Kemp. "I think I've hit a couple in Dodger Stadium with the crowd the way it was today. What better way to do it than in front of all those fans."
Justin Turner got the rally going with one out in the inning. He singled for the Dodgers' first hit since his double in the third. Manny Machado followed with a 10-pitch walk by Bradley to set up Kemp.
Bradley (4-5) was leading the National League in holds with 31 before Kemp's homer.
Kenta Maeda (8-8) worked a perfect eighth. Kenley Jansen put the tying run on in the ninth. The All-Star closer gave up a two-out double to Nick Ahmed before Ketel Marte popped up to second, giving Jansen his 34th save in 38 opportunities.
"When he's doing what he does at the back-end, he allows everyone else to go in their rightful spots in the pen," said Roberts about Jansen. "He was the first person in my office saying he wants the ball again tomorrow."
Enrique Hernandez got the first out of the ninth on a stellar play. He made a diving stop on David Peralta's grounder and threw from his back to first baseman Cody Bellinger just in time.
Neither team has won by more than two runs in the first three homer-heavy games of the series. Turner's homer leading off the eighth gave the Dodgers a 3-2 victory on Friday. The D'Backs won the opener 3-1 on Peralta's three-run shot.
Arizona led 2-0 after Eduardo Escobar and pinch-hitter Christian Walker led off innings by homering on first pitches from Clayton Kershaw.
Escobar went deep to left field in the second. Walker, hitting for starter Patrick Corbin, landed one in left-center for his second career pinch-hit homer off Kershaw.
In between Arizona's two homers, Kershaw retired 12 consecutive batters. The left-hander gave up two runs and four hits in seven innings, struck out three and walked none.
"I thought I threw the ball alright," said Kershaw of his start. "Two first-pitch fastballs and they swung at them and they hit them...they happened to go over the fence tonight, but this was just an awesome comeback win tonight."
In his last 13 starts since coming off the disabled list on June 23, Kershaw is 5-1 with a 2.19 ERA with 74 strikeouts and just nine walks to go with a 0.89 WHIP.
Six consecutive Dodgers struck out over the fifth, sixth and seventh innings. Corbin retired the side in the fifth, striking out the last two batters. Yoshihisa Hirano relieved him and struck out the side in the sixth, while Brad Ziegler struck out pinch-hitter Bellinger to open the seventh.
Corbin (10-6) allowed three hits, struck out seven and walked one. The Dodgers have struck out 31 times in Corbin's four starts against them this season.
Arizona's Paul Goldschmidt singled in the sixth to reach base in his 44th straight road game.
David Freese started at first base for Los Angeles in his Dodger debut after he was acquired from the Pittsburgh Pirates at the waiver trade deadline on Friday night.
"He got to the hotel, got a little catnap in, got to the ballpark and we put him in there," said Roberts of Freese. "He's excited to be a Dodger. It's special to be a Dodger and he realizes that."
Freese reached base safely in two of his three plate appearances, going 1-for-2 with a hut by pitch.
TRAINER'S ROOM
D-backs: 3B Jake Lamb (left shoulder contusion) recently had surgery to repair fraying in the rotator cuff and is done for the season. He's expected to be ready by spring training.
Dodgers: Reinstated LHP Zac Rosscup (left calf strain) and INF Chase Utley (left wrist inflammation) from the 10-day disabled list.
UP NEXT
RHP Clay Buchholz (7-2, 2.07 ERA) brings a 15-inning scoreless streak into the series finale. He faces the Dodgers for the first time since June 20, 2010, when he pitched 6 2/3 shutout innings in a 2-0 victory. Rookie RHP Walker Buehler (6-4, 3.02) faces the D'Backs for the first time.
