Sixteen Dodger games into the torrid start that made him an early season Most Valuable Player candidate in 2010, Andre Ethier had a .377 batting average, .441 on-base percentage and .679 slugging percentage. 

This season, after 16 Dodger games, Matt Kemp has a .474 batting average, .545 on-base percentage and .719 slugging percentage. 

Kemp has reached base at least three times in half of his 16 games. He could go hitless in his next 53 at-bats and still be ahead of his 2010 batting average.

“They pitched to the one guy who could beat them,” said Vin Scully of the Cardinals in the bottom of the ninth, “and he does.”