Since falling to 4.5 games back of the Arizona Diamondbacks in the National League West, the Los Angeles Dodgers have surged to a tie atop the division standings behind a 7-3 stretch. Included in that is back-to-back dramatic wins against the D-Backs at Dodger Stadium.
After the Dodgers dropped the opener of a four-game series, they were rescued by home runs from Kiké Hernandez and Justin Turner in the late innings on Friday night. Then on Saturday, Matt Kemp got to play hero.
With two outs and the Dodgers trailing 2-0, Kemp crushed a hanging breaking ball from Archie Bradley over the fence in center field for a game-winning three-run home run.
At worst, the Dodgers have guaranteed themselves a series split and will be no more than one game back of the Diamondbacks in the NL West. A win on Sunday would give them sole possession of first place.
With the calendar now having turned to September, Kemp was adamant the Dodgers have a higher level of focus because of the division race, as seen on SportsNet LA:
“Coming into September, we know what every game means. We’re treating every game like it’s a playoff game right now. That’s what we have to do. That’s the mentality we have to have. Especially with those guys over there playing as good as they are. I don’t think they’re going to quit, so we have to be just as good as them.”
That the Dodgers managed to make up so much ground in a short amount of time did not come as a surprise to manager Dave Roberts. He nonetheless commended his club for accomplishing as much.
After Sunday’s series finale, Kemp and the Dodgers will have 25 games remaining to play their way to a sixth consecutive NL West title and postseason berth.
