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Call it a Tale of Two At Bats, with my apologies to the estate of Charles Dickens. On Saturday night, with two outs in the ninth inning and the tying run on third, the Dodgers were poised to complete a second straight comeback against the division leading Arizona Diamondbacks, whose closer, Brandon Lyon, was hanging on by a thread, having already surrendered three hits (including a Jeff Kent bomb) and a walk.

Matt Kemp walked to the plate, and in a display of the impatience that has fueled his detractors, swung at the first pitch he saw, a high fastball running in on his hands, lofting a harmless fly ball to right to end the game.

Maybe 12 hours later, things were again looking bleak in Dodger Land. The Blue had been shut down all afternoon by Arizona Cy Young winner Brandon Webb. Dodger fans who have been hoping for a big move instead got Pablo Ozuna, the latest nothing player to be acquired by Ned Colletti. Journeyman righthander Jason Johnson was scheduled to start Tuesday in Colorado, while Clayton Kershaw toiled in Double-A. Andruw Jones still couldn’t buy a hit, and neither could Blake DeWitt, while Andy LaRoche rotted away on the pine, seemingly without any chance to display his skills. (Note: DeWitt is a nice story but his OPS less is then .500 in his last 130+ at bats. He saved Friday night’s game with the leather at third, but I, like many observers of the Dodgers, think it’s time to see what LaRoche has got.)

The bad taste of Matt Kemp’s Saturday at bat was still lingering as the Dodgers came to bat, down 4-1 in the ninth.

Beleaguered closer Brandon Lyon was again given the task to close out the game. Sunday, he was greeted with a double from Nomar Garciaparra off the wall in right center. James Loney followed with a single, and then good fortune really smiled on the Blue, as Arizona shortstop Stephen Drew misplayed a potential double play ball off the bat of (who else?) Andruw Jones. The D-Backs get one out instead of two. DeWitt followed with an ever-more-typical out, and LaRoche was brought on to pinch hit. He drove Lyon’s first pitch into right to score Loney, and bring the Dodgers to within one. Ozuna pinch ran for LaRoche, as Matt Kemp again came to the plate.

Same closer, virtually the same situation. Two outs, tying run aboard, the Dodgers looking to complete a big comeback in a critical game. This time, though, Kemp seemed to have a plan, or at the very least, the focus to work through a much better at bat. After falling behind 1-2, Kemp took a pitch and fouled off three more before slicing a double to deep center, scoring the new guy from first. Say what you will about the rest of the package, but Ozuna can run.

Kemp called it the best at bat of his career, and I won’t argue. By waiting until he saw a pitch he could handle, then driving it, he might have registered the biggest hit of the year for LA. They’d eventually win the game 6-5 to tie the Diamondbacks atop the NL West, on a rally started by the veteran Garciaparra and finished by the kids: Loney, LaRoche, Andre Ethier, and Russell Martin. The Dodgers then the momentum into an eight run first inning Monday night against the Rockies, en route to a 16-10 win.

That was just the start of the good news. Monday we learned that Kershaw would start on tonight in Denver instead of Johnson. Then, to top it off, the lineup Monday included LaRoche against a right handed pitcher, something Joe Torre has been uwilling to do since LaRoche was brought back to the Majors. With DeWitt in the midst of a monster slump it is time to give LaRoche 100 at bats and some consistent playing time. He didn’t get to be their top positional prospect for nothing- he earned it.

The Dodgers need LaRoche’s combination of power and patience and probably nobody on this roster can give us that kind of combination like LaRoche. Here’s to hoping he cashes in on his chance.

The Dodgers are scoring, Matt Kemp had some redemption, Kershaw is back, LaRoche will get some swings.

All in all, it’s been a good 48 hours for the Dodger faithful.

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