Kemp plays the hero for the second game in a row

Matt Kemp, three years removed from an MVP-caliber season in 2011 (.324, 39 HR, 126 RBI), played the hero for the Dodgers for the second night in a row tonight, leading Los Angeles to a 3-2 extra innings win over Atlanta.

Kemp drilled a single to left field in the bottom of the 10^th to score Justin Turner and give Los Angeles its fifth straight win. Kemp homered earlier in the game and finished with a 3-for-4 night after clubbing two dingers on Tuesday night.

Kemp’s extra inning heroics bailed out closer Kenley Jansen, who had a blown save in the ninth when he gave up a game-tying homer to Justin Upton that knotted the score at 2-2.

Kemp, hitting .400 over his last 10 games, raised his batting average to .288 and now has 11 round trippers on the season.

Dodger right-hander Zack Greinke hooked up in a pitcher’s duel with Atlanta’s Alex Wood with neither starter getting a decision. Greinke pitched eight innings of five-hit ball and Wood went seven innings and held the Dodgers to six hits.

The Dodgers took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the eighth when Kemp walked, moved to second on a Carl Crawford single and scored when Juan Uribe singled up the middle. Atlanta shortstop Andrelton Simmons knocked down the grounder but his throw to home was not in time to get Kemp.

With the win, the Dodgers remained three games up on San Francisco, 7-5 winners over the Pirates.

The Dodgers will send Clayton Kershaw (12-2, 1.76) to the mound tomorrow night to face Julio Teheran (10-6, 2.71) as Los Angeles will attempt to post its second straight series sweep.