Matt Kemp shines as Los Angeles Dodgers defeat Arizona Diamondbacks 9-5 – MLB Update
Los Angeles Dodgers carried their winning momentum into another series, as they overpowered the Arizona Diamondbacks 9-5 in the series-opener at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Friday, July 29.
After the Diamondbacks gained a 1-0 lead in the top of the second inning, Dodgers’ Matt Kemp came into his real form and launched a glorious 404-feet long three-run homer to take his team into a 3-1 lead in the bottom of the third inning. Kemp added two
more RBIs setting a 5-1 lead in the fourth inning.
After touching five more RBIs, Kemp is leading the National League in RBIs with 80. He has also scored 101 RBIs in 2009 and 89 in 2010, but his current motion shows his ambition to break both records in no time.
"That's really not important to me. What's important is winning games," said Kemp, "If I drive in runs, we win. I just want to do good for the team and try to make things happen around here."
Diamondbacks did not lose their command over the game, as Xavier Nady singled in the fourth, Willie Bloomquist touched a one-run homer in the fifth and Ryan Roberts added a single in the sixth inning. However, the Dodgers’ Andre Ethier carried the impetus
and singled to right-field, allowing Jamey Carroll to score the sixth run.
Arizona’s Justin Upton launched a 412-foot long one-run homer to reduce it again to 6-5, but the Dodgers’ bat had gained some real thrust. Tony Gwynn, Jamey Carroll and Rafael Furcal each touched an RBI single to elevate the lead to 9-5 in the bottom of
the seventh inning.
Mike MacDougal and Javy Guerra then worked scoreless innings each to take the Dodgers to their 48th win in the 2011 regular season.
Dodgers’ ace Ted Lilly gave away three runs, three hits, two walks and one strike-out but still managed to get his seventh win of the season.
Los Angeles’ manager explained his strategy he employed for Lilly and said, "He gave up a couple of solo homers, so you live with that. But I just couldn't let him go back out there in the sixth inning, because there were three righties in that inning that
had at least two homers off of him."
Josh Collmenter scattered five runs, seven hits and two walks while striking-out only one batter over three innings to receive his sixth loss of the season. Joe Paterson and Zach Duke remained scoreless while Sam Demel and Alberto Castillo each yielded two
runs in three combined innings.
It was the Dodgers’ fifth win in last six games and their momentum may take them to another win if Chad Billingsley kept his momentum that he expressed against Washington Nationals to grab his ninth win.
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