For the second time in five games, an opposing manager elected to pitch to Matt Kemp with the game on the line and first base open, and for the second time in five games Kemp drove a fastball over the center-field fence.
Braves Vs. Dodgers: Matt Kemp Walks Off Again
Sunday afternoon at Dodger Stadium, the manager was Tony La Russa, the pitcher was Ryan Franklin, and it happened in the ninth inning as Los Angeles beat St. Louis 2-1.
Thursday afternoon at Dodger Stadium, the manager was Fredi Gonzalez, the pitcher was Cristhian Martinez, and it happened in the 12th inning as Los Angeles beat Atlanta 5-3.
In both cases, Andre Ethier doubled into the right-field corner and Kemp followed with a game-winning blast to center field.
For almost nine innings, this game was mostly about Dodgers starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw.
The Braves did score first, when Orange County native Freddie Freeman hit a solo home run off Kershaw in the fifth inning. But in the sixth, Juan Uribe tied the game with a home run off Braves starter Jair Jurrjens, and in the seventh Casey Blake put the Dodgers ahead 2-1 with his own homer, off reliever Scott Linebrink.
Entering the ninth, Kershaw's pitch count was still relatively low, and of course the Dodgers' relievers haven't inspired a great deal of confidence lately. Jonathan Broxton was ready in the bullpen, but Kershaw took the mound with a complete game in mind.
He almost got it, quickly retiring Martin Prado and Alex Gonzalez. But Chipper Jones lined a single into left field, and was replaced by pinch-runner Jason Heyward. Dan Uggla singled, with Heyward advancing to third base. Uggla advanced to second on the throw, and was very nearly called out. Kershaw walked Freddie Freeman, loading the bases.
Mattingly walked to the mound, and everyone watching assumed Broxton would finally get the call.
He didn't. Kershaw talked Mattingly into one more batter ... and that batter, David Ross, hit a soft line drive into left field to plate Heyward and Uggla and put the Braves ahead by a run. That finally brought on Broxton, who struck out Nate McLouth to finally end the carnage.
If the game had ended 3-2, Mattingly would have been second-guessed for the rest of his life.
Thanks to Jamey Carroll and Casey Blake, he won't be. Carroll led off the bottom of the ninth with a walk, advanced to second on Craig Kimbrel's wild pitch, and came around to score moments later on Blake's base hit.
Neither team mounted another serious threat until the 11th, when the Braves got a couple of runners aboard with two outs before Matt Guerrier struck out McLouth. Guerrier breezed through the 12th, setting up the Dodgers' deja vu bottom of the inning. And we're left to wonder if the word about Matt Kemp will start getting around the National League anytime soon.
For more on the Braves and Dodgers, please check out team blogs Talking Chop and True Blue LA.
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