The Cincinnati Reds completed their first four-game sweep of the Los Angeles Dodgers since 1976, meaning highlights were largely few and far between for the home team at Dodger Stadium.
Matt Kemp cooled off at the plate during the six-game homestand but he electrified the crowd on Mother’s Day with his glove. With a runner on and no outs in the third inning, Kemp tracked down a drive to the left-center field gap and laid out for a diving catch to rob Joey Votto of a hit.
The impressive grab was easily Kemp’s best this season. And though it likely prevented a run from scoring, Rich Hill offset that by allowing a two-run home run to the next batter.
The metrics don’t favor Kemp, as he’s worth -1.4 Defensive Runs Above Average (DEF), but to the naked eye he at least has played adequate defense in left field.
In line with what’s held true over recent seasons in his career, Kemp’s calling card is at the plate. He’s batting .317/.357/.500 with seven doubles, five home runs and 17 RBI.
Kemp trails only Yasmani Grandal on the team in on-base plus slugging percentage (.857) and is also second to the Dodgers catcher in home runs. Before slumping in recent games, Kemp led the National League in batting average.
