Matt Kemp is alive! Drills two-run homer in Dodgers’ 4-3 victory over Padres

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A Matt Kemp sighting. A real, live Matt Kempsighting.

After his explosive start, Kemp had gone into offensive hiding. The quick, powerful swing dissipated into one of a comparative slap hitter.

For two weeks, he was the terror of the National League. For the next three weeks, almost invisible.

Since April 21, Kemp had not hit a home run. He had two runs batted in over his last 83 at-bats.

Until he came to the plate in the top of the seventh Friday and drilled a pitch from Luke Gregerson over the center-field wall -- and off the glove of a leaping Tony Gwynn -- for a two-run homer that gave the Dodgers a 4-3 victory over the Padres.

It was sort of convenient to blame Kemp’s struggles over being berated by General Manager Ned Colletti in a radio interview, but those infamous comments actually came six games after Kemp had started his offensive slide.

If the Dodgers are to be the offensive team they hope to be, they need a Kemp who drives the ball, who puts constant fear into opposing pitchers. Not that weak facsimile seen the past three weeks.

Only now he has RBIs in consecutive games, and unlike that bloop triple against the Rockies on May 7, he tagged his home run Friday.

Kemp had 20 RBIs in his first 14 games, so no one really thought he would keep that pace up. But one RBI in his next 19 games was a little more of a drop-off than anyone expected.

Despite all the acclaim -- and criticism -- he has received, he is still just 25. Still capable of an unexpected funk, of highs and lows.

Now he’s hinted that he is coming out of his personal skid.

And after being thrown out six times in his first nine stolen-base attempts, he has now made good on three of his last four attempts.

-- Steve Dilbeck