Bradley coughs up late lead, Dodgers pull even with D-backs
LOS ANGELES -- Matt Kemp slugged a go-ahead, two-strike, three-run homer in the eighth inning, lifting the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 3-2 victory over Arizona and a tie atop the NL West with the Diamondbacks on Saturday night.
With fans on their feet chanting "Let's go Dodgers," Kemp took two quick strikes from Archie Bradley before launching his 19th homer into center field for a 3-2 lead.
Justin Turner got the rally going with one out in the inning. He singled for the Dodgers' first hit since his double in the third. Manny Machado followed with a 10-pitch walk by Bradley to set up Kemp.
Bradley (4-5) was leading the National League in holds with 31 before Kemp's homer.
Kenta Maeda (8-8) worked a perfect eighth. Kenley Jansen put the tying run on in the ninth. The All-Star closer gave up a two-out double to Nick Ahmed before Ketel Marte popped up to second, giving Jansen his 34th save in 38 opportunities.
Enrique Hernandez got the first out of the ninth on a stellar play. He made a diving stop on David Peralta's grounder and threw from his back to first baseman Cody Bellinger just in time.
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Neither team has won by more than two runs in the first three homer-heavy games of the series. Turner's homer leading off the eighth gave the Dodgers a 3-2 victory on Friday. The D'Backs won the opener 3-1 on Peralta's three-run shot.
Arizona led 2-0 after Eduardo Escobar and pinch-hitter Christian Walker led off innings by homering on first pitches from Clayton Kershaw.
Escobar went deep to left field in the second. Walker, hitting for starter Patrick Corbin, landed one in left-center for his second career pinch-hit homer off Kershaw.
In between Arizona's two homers, Kershaw retired 12 consecutive batters. The left-hander gave up two runs and four hits in seven innings, struck out three and walked none.
Six consecutive Dodgers struck out over the fifth, sixth and seventh innings. Corbin retired the side in the fifth, striking out the last two batters. Yoshihisa Hirano relieved him and struck out the side in the sixth, while Brad Ziegler struck out pinch-hitter Bellinger to open the seventh.
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Corbin (10-6) allowed three hits, struck out seven and walked one. The Dodgers have struck out 31 times in Corbin's four starts against them this season.
Arizona's Paul Goldschmidt singled in the sixth to reach base in his 44th straight road game.
UP NEXT
RHP Clay Buchholz (7-2, 2.07 ERA) brings a 15-inning scoreless streak into the series finale. He faces the Dodgers for the first time since June 20, 2010, when he pitched 6 2/3 shutout innings in a 2-0 victory. Rookie RHP Walker Buehler (6-4, 3.02) faces the D-backs for the first time.
