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Los Angeles Dodgers’ Chris Taylor hits a two-run home run during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Colorado Rockies in Los Angeles, Sunday, Sept. 6, 2020. (AP Photo/Kelvin Kuo)
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Colorado Rockies’ Garrett Hampson, right, celebrates with third base coach Stu Cole after hitting an RBI triple during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Los Angeles, Sunday, Sept. 6, 2020. (AP Photo/Kelvin Kuo)
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Los Angeles Dodgers’ A.J. Pollock, left, congratulates Chris Taylor after Taylor’s two-run home run during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Colorado Rockies in Los Angeles, Sunday, Sept. 6, 2020. (AP Photo/Kelvin Kuo)
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Colorado Rockies’ Raimel Tapia follows through on a swing for an RBI single during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Los Angeles, Sunday, Sept. 6, 2020. (AP Photo/Kelvin Kuo)
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Colorado Rockies’ Raimel Tapia celebrates while crossing home plate after an RBi single by Nolan Arenado during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Los Angeles, Sunday, Sept. 6, 2020. (AP Photo/Kelvin Kuo)
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Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Ryan Castellani reacts after being taken out of the game during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Los Angeles, Sunday, Sept. 6, 2020. (AP Photo/Kelvin Kuo)
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Colorado Rockies’ Nolan Arenado looks up after hitting an RBI single during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Los Angeles, Sunday, Sept. 6, 2020. (AP Photo/Kelvin Kuo)
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Colorado Rockies shortstop Trevor Story, right, tags out Los Angeles Dodgers’ A.J. Pollock after Pollock attempts to stretch a single into a double during the fourth inning of a baseball game in Los Angeles, Sunday, Sept. 6, 2020. (AP Photo/Kelvin Kuo)
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Colorado Rockies second baseman Garrett Hampson runs into the netting while playing a foul ball hit by Los Angeles Dodgers’ Gavin Lux during the third inning of a baseball game in Los Angeles, Sunday, Sept. 6, 2020. (AP Photo/Kelvin Kuo)
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Colorado Rockies’ Matt Kemp (25) congratulates Josh Fuentes (8) on his two-run home run as Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Will Smith looks on during the second inning of a baseball game in Los Angeles, Sunday, Sept. 6, 2020. (AP Photo/Kelvin Kuo)
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Los Angeles Dodgers’ Chris Taylor, left, congratulates Will Smith after Smith’s solo home run during the second inning of a baseball game as Colorado Rockies catcher Elias Diaz looks on in Los Angeles, Sunday, Sept. 6, 2020. (AP Photo/Kelvin Kuo)
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Colorado Rockies’ Josh Fuentes drops his bat after a two-run home run during the second inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Los Angeles, Sunday, Sept. 6, 2020. (AP Photo/Kelvin Kuo)
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Los Angeles Dodgers second baseman Gavin Lux, left, is unable to make a catch as Colorado Rockies’ Trevor Story steals second base during the first inning of a baseball game in Los Angeles, Sunday, Sept. 6, 2020. (AP Photo/Kelvin Kuo)
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Los Angeles Dodgers’ Corey Seager celebrates with manager Dave Roberts and bench coach Bob Geren, from left to right, during the first inning of a baseball game against the Colorado Rockies in Los Angeles, Sunday, Sept. 6, 2020. (AP Photo/Kelvin Kuo)
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Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Ryan Castellani delivers during the first inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Los Angeles, Sunday, Sept. 6, 2020. (AP Photo/Kelvin Kuo)
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Los Angeles Dodgers’ Corey Seager looks up after hitting a solo home run during the first inning of a baseball game against the Colorado Rockies in Los Angeles, Sunday, Sept. 6, 2020. (AP Photo/Kelvin Kuo)
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A general view as cutouts line the stands as the sun sets before a baseball game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Colorado Rockies in Los Angeles, Sunday, Sept. 6, 2020. (AP Photo/Kelvin Kuo)
LOS ANGELES — It isn’t the first time Matt Kemp’s heroics have won a game at Dodger Stadium. But it might be the last.
At 35, the former Dodgers hero is playing out his twilight season as a part-time DH and pinch hitter for the Colorado Rockies, rescued from unemployment only by MLB’s decision to make the DH a part of this pandemic season in both leagues.
But Kemp scooped an 0-and-1 slider down and in from Dodgers reliever Caleb Ferguson and golfed it over the left field wall for a two-run home run in the eighth inning Sunday night. It was the 285th home run of Kemp’s career (203 hit for the Dodgers, three hit against them) and gave the Rockies a 7-6 victory over the Dodgers.
“Yeah, definitely was,” Kemp said when asked if it was an emotional moment at his former home.
The Rockies are Kemp’s fourth team in the past two years, having been released by the Reds and Mets last season and the Marlins earlier this year. But he got his 1800th career hit earlier in the game. While he admitted it was “pretty cool” to reach that milestone at Dodger Stadium, he wouldn’t entertain thoughts that this might be his last chance to bask in a moment like this.
“No. Last year, I broke my rib. A freak injury, running into the wall. Injuries are part of the game,” he said. “I’m not going to stop playing baseball. I’m going to stop playing baseball when I’m ready to stop. And I don’t plan on stopping no time soon.”
The Dodgers came from behind in three of the first six innings Sunday, hitting four home runs — two by Corey Seager — but stranded the tying and go-ahead runners on base in the ninth inning.
With the win, the Rockies took two out of three from the Dodgers in the weekend series, handing them their first back-to-back losses in nearly a month (August 10-11) and winning a series against the NL West’s reigning power for the first time since August 2018.
It is also the first series this season the Dodgers have lost. They are the last team in MLB this season to lose a series, going 13 series (10 victories and three splits) to start the year without losing one.
“It was a good run,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “You have to hand it to the Rockies. They got after it. You could see their energy. We got beat. We got beat the last two nights. That’s going to happen.”
The Dodgers found themselves trailing for the first time after Julio Urias gave up a two-run home run to Josh Fuentes in the second inning. Will Smith added a solo home run in the second inning to Seager’s first homer in the first inning to match that.
The Rockies took another lead in the fifth inning on RBI singles by Raimel Tapia and Nolan Arenado.
Urias failed to follow up on his strongest start of the season on Tuesday when he allowed just one run on four hits and no walks in six innings.
This time, he didn’t make it through five innings, allowing four runs on five hits and two walks.
Seager made that 4-2 lead go away with his second home run of the game, a two-run belt into the right-field pavilion. Seager crushed the first-pitch fastball from Rockies starter Ryan Castellani, ripping it at 111.3 mph off the bat.
The Rockies took the lead for the third time off Dodgers reliever Dylan Floro in the sixth. Floro walked Kevin Pillar to start the inning. Pillar scored when Jake McGee replaced Floro and gave up a triple to the center field wall by Garrett Hampson.
Chris Taylor made that go away with a two-run home run in the bottom of the sixth and the Dodgers protected their 6-5 lead into the eighth inning.
Roberts handed the ball to Ferguson for the eighth, a sound decision before the start of September. In 15 appearances before then, Ferguson had 20 strikeouts and only seven hits allowed (one home run) in 14 1/3 innings.
But Ferguson has not been good lately and his struggles continued against the Rockies. He gave up a leadoff single to Pillar and the two-run home run Kemp — the third consecutive game Ferguson has been touched for a home run. Over his three appearances this month, Ferguson has faced 15 batters and retired only six of them, giving up eight hits (including those three home runs) and a walk.
“Honestly, I think the ball that I hit was a ball,” Kemp said of his homer. “I’m just glad that it just so happened to get over the fence and we got the win.”
The feel-good stories in the Dodgers’ bullpen haven’t felt as good recently. Dodgers relievers have given up at least one run in each of the past nine games (more than one in six of those), piling up a 4.89 ERA and 1.60 WHIP in that time.
“I think there’s some bad walks in there. And I think there’s some situations where we could put guys away and haven’t done that,” Roberts said. “In the overall sum, they’ve been very good. But they’re not going to be perfect. Eliminate the walks and we’re going to be fine.”
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