With Hollywood but a few miles from Dodger Stadium, the Arizona Diamondbacks and Los Angeles Dodgers produced a sequel to Friday night’s thriller, with Matt Kemp this time playing the role of hero in another 3-2 comeback victory.
After Justin Turner punched a one-out single into right field and Manny Machado worked a walk, Kemp delivered a go-ahead three-run home run off vaunted Diamondbacks reliever Archie Bradley. Kemp received a curtain call on the night he received his Heart & Hustle Award.
Prior to Turner’s single, the Dodgers had gone 0-for-16 with 10 strikeouts since his one-out double in the third inning.
Kemp’s blast picked up Clayton Kershaw, who turned in an eighth consecutive start in which he didn’t allow more than two earned runs. Like Hyun-Jin Ryu the night before, it appeared for much of the game he was headed for a tough-luck loss.
While Kershaw went seven strong innings, the Dodgers trailed because of a pair of home runs that came on first-pitch fastballs.
Adding more sting to the leadoff home runs were that they came from unlikely sources. Eduardo Escobar ambushed Kershaw with a homer in the second inning for just his fifth blast this season.
Christian Walker then jumped on Kershaw in the sixth for his second pinch-hit home run this season off the left-handed ace. Kershaw was otherwise efficient and largely dominant.
He retired 12 in a row between the home runs surrendered, and got through seven innings on just 91 pitches. Kershaw’s only real stress came in the sixth inning when Paul Goldschmidt’s infield single and an error on Brian Dozier put two on with two out.
But Kershaw got Escobar to tap back to the mound to keep the Dodgers’ deficit at 2-0.
Los Angeles did manage to work Patrick Corbin’s pitch count, which led to him exiting after five innings. However, the southpaw only allowed three hits, issued one walk, hit a batter, and collected seven strikeouts.
Two of the Dodgers’ hits off Corbin came in the second inning when David Freese and Austin Barnes reached on respective singles. But Kershaw was unable to help his cause as he went down swinging.
Turner’s double with one out in the third was stranded as Corbin otherwise strike out the side. But as with Robbie Ray, his effort was washed away by the Diamondbacks bullpen.
Kenley Jansen, confident he’s solved mechanical troubles that plagued him since returning from the 10-day disabled list, worked around a two-out double to convert his second straight save opportunity.
