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Kemp eases pressure in Dodgers' win
06/03/2008 2:19 AM ET
By Michael Schwartz / MLB.com

LOS ANGELES -- Before Monday's game against the Rockies, Dodgers manager Joe Torre talked about how his team needed somebody to loosen the screws on the pressure mounting on Los Angeles' struggling offense.
Good thing outfielder Matt Kemp brought his screwdriver to Dodger Stadium.

Kemp hit a pair of doubles and a homer to lead the Dodgers to an 8-2 win over Colorado, alleviating the pressure on starter Derek Lowe to be perfect as he's needed to be his past few losses.

"They get a couple of hits and they score some runs, and it just seems to loosen people up," Torre said of the middle of Los Angeles' order. "I'd like to say it was something more magical than that, but I just think it's a sense of scoring runs and it's a confidence thing. When it starts working early, then you have confidence to stay with that."

Los Angeles hit three home runs in all, with Jeff Kent and Andre Ethier also leaving the yard, after the squad had hit just four homers during the past 10-game stretch in which it went 2-8. The Dodgers did not score more than four runs in nine of their previous 10 games.

Torre was most impressed that his squad kept adding on after taking the lead for good with two runs in the bottom of the first, scoring in five of the first seven innings.

"We'd rather score in more innings," Torre said. "Tonight was a manager's dream -- when you go out there and score in the first, score in the second, score in the [third] -- because that means you're constantly going after it and being aggressive. And tonight was good and we just have to remember how it happened."

After Lowe gave up a run on three straight two-out singles in the first, Los Angeles' answer in the bottom half of the inning showed Monday would not be like Lowe's previous run of bad luck.

The sinkerballer had not won since April 23, although he's pitched far better lately, compiling a 1.23 ERA over his past three starts.

"Again, the bounce-back runs that we were able to get in the bottom of the first definitely gave me some confidence that we're going to go out and score some runs," Lowe said. "They kept adding on, which is great to see. We need to continue to play like this more often."

When told it had been a long time since his last win, Lowe said, "No kidding." He also won a rare contest against the Rockies after losing four in a row to Colorado.

Lowe (3-5) pitched eight innings and gave up just two more hits after his rough first inning, a pair of knocks in the fourth. He walked one and struck out three.

The starter recorded 15 of his 24 outs on the ground, a surefire sign he's on his game, according to Torre.

"He pitched a great game," Torre said. "It really sets the tone, any time you go out there and pitch like that."

After a road trip Kemp called "ugly" and a 4:30 a.m. PT arrival at LAX, the outfielder said his squad was more aggressive Monday against Colorado starter Greg Reynolds (0-3), who allowed six runs (four earned) on seven hits in five innings.

"The whole attitude today, everyone had the energy and I just felt like we were going to come out and do some good things today," Kemp said. "Derek pitched a good game, and we got hits to back him up. Everyone did their job today."

Despite their recent struggles, the victory moved the Dodgers within 3 1/2 games of first-place Arizona in the National League West, a reminder the club is far from out of contention, despite a rough week and a half.

"We just need to put something together, just for our own confidence at this point in time," Torre said. "We certainly know we're better than our record indicates right now. We just need to just get our confidence, and I think the confidence, with that, will bring a little more aggressive play."