When the Los Angeles Dodgers acquired Matt Kemp in a salary-motivated trade with the Atlanta Braves during the winter, there wasn’t much expectation he would remain with the team come Opening Day of the 2018 season.
Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman had a candid conversation with the veteran outfielder, who nonetheless was excited over a return to the organization that drafted him. Time wore on and Kemp remained with the team into Spring Training and the start of the season.
He played his way to an All-Star Game selection, the third of his career and first since 2012. Kemp not only earned the accomplishment by carrying the Dodgers lineup, but also by emerging as one of their better hitters with runners in scoring position and clutch situations.
On Sunday, Kemp did his damage with a pair of solo home runs off Milwaukee Brewers starter Brent Suter. The second of which was a booming shot to right-center field.
Kemp explained during a postgame interview with Alanna Rizzo on SportsNet LA that utilizing the opposite field is a focal point of his for the second half of the season:
“Yeah, I think it’s been a couple weeks, maybe a few weeks that I’ve really drove a ball to right-center. I did it [Saturday] night, and that was one of my main focuses coming into the second half. Was try to stay center and the other side. Those are my strengths, and it’s been working so far.”
Of his 98 hits this season, 21 (21.4 percent) have gone to the opposite field. When hitting in that direction, Kemp is managing to get the ball in the air with frequency — 71.2 percent. He’s also hitting to a .411 wOBA and 163 wRC+ the opposite way.
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