Another big night for Kemp at Coors Field

Padres slugger homers twice, knocks in 6

April 10th, 2016

DENVER -- At this point, it's getting redundant.
Matt Kemp visits Coors Field. Matt Kemp mashes at Coors Field. Ho hum.
It was more of the same for Kemp in Saturday night's 16-3 Padres victory, as the veteran right fielder launched two home runs and went 3-for-5 with six RBIs. Kemp now has three dingers in the series, and none have been cheap shots, as evidenced by the 443-foot average distance.
"I've played here a lot, so I'm very familiar with it," said Kemp. "Playing with the Dodgers, and then being here [with the Padres] a lot of games have been played here. I just see the ball well. I like it, and hopefully I can continue to hit well here."
With 10 RBIs in his first five games, Kemp set a Padres franchise record. Of course, he's driven in all 10 of those runs this weekend against the Rockies, meaning he's just one shy of tying the franchise mark for RBIs in a three-game series, set by Ryan Klesko in 2001.
Both of Kemp's home runs came against Rockies left-hander Jorge De La Rosa, against whom he is now hitting .471 with seven homers in 51 at-bats. Last season, it took Kemp until June 16 to hit his third long ball. This year, he has three in his first five games.

"I don't really worry about home runs; home runs come," Kemp said. "If I worry too much about them, I get some bad habits. I just try to hit the ball hard and see what happens."
On Wednesday night, after the Padres had been shut out for the third straight time, Kemp was one of the more vocal players in the clubhouse. He maintained that it was just a matter of time until the Padres offense broke out -- and then he backed it up.
The trip to Coors Field certainly didn't hurt. Kemp is now hitting .339 with 19 homers in 74 career games in Denver, and he famously recorded the first cycle in Padres history here last August. What's been the key to his success in Colorado?
"[It's] a good backdrop," Kemp said. "A lot of guys like hitting here. It's just one of those ballparks that I've had some success in."
Padres manager Andy Green thinks there's a simpler explanation for Kemp hitting so well in Denver -- namely that Kemp has hit well, period.
"He's been successful a lot of places," Green said. "It's not just Coors Field. He's been a very, very good hitter in the big leagues for a very, very long time."