Tony Kemp put on a Broadway show this weekend in New York.
He doubled his home run total for the year and hit a go-ahead, game-winning, three-run home run Friday night as he continues to play some of the best baseball of his career.
Kemp, the Oakland A’s second baseman, came into June with just one home run. But within the last 20 days, he has hit three. His most recent two happened under the bright lights of New York, and there’s no better feeling than putting on a show there.
It was a 2-2 count in the 6th inning as the Athletics trailed, 3-2. With runners on the corners, Kemp was in the box facing a left-handed pitcher who before this season he had homered off of only once in his career, the last time being in 2019. Well, the next pitch made it the second time he had done it this season alone.
As the ball flew over the right field fence Kemp took a little extra time to admire his work.
.@tonykemp pimped this home run as it went over the right field wall in New York #MLBbros https://t.co/gN6ihyZ0BV
— MLBbro.com (@MLBbrodotcom) June 19, 2021
That feeling of hitting a home run in front of the Yankees faithful felt so good Kemp had to go for seconds, and he did not even wait a full 24 hours. He was the second hitter of the game for the A’s and he launched a home run just feet from where his Friday night bomb landed.
For the second time in 24 hours @tonykemp caught a Yankees pitcher slipping. The Oakland second baseman now has four homers on the year #MLBbros https://t.co/xvfTMx4Vg7
— MLBbro.com (@MLBbrodotcom) June 19, 2021
Yankees slugger Aaron Judge even showed Kemp some love on Twitter for his power display.
One of these guys has two HRs in the series so far….? @tonykemp https://t.co/CS85mJRobc
— Aaron Judge (@TheJudge44) June 20, 2021
That’s what makes baseball special. Kemp is listed at 5-foot-6, 160 pounds while the Yankees Black Knight Twin Towers Judge and Giancarlo Stanton stand 6-foot-7 and 6-foot-6, respectively. In all, this weekend, Kemp had two home runs and accounted for two runs and four RBI, while Judge and Stanton combined for no home runs and only two RBI. Judge would even be robbed of a base hit by Kemp on a line out during Saturday’s game.
Tony Kemp is errywhere pic.twitter.com/K23a1zWzCH
— The Rickey Henderson of Blogs (@RickeyBlog) June 19, 2021
Kemp has been a solid piece of the Oakland roster this season. There was no guarantee that he would have a starting spot, but he has been making it extremely tough for manager Bob Melvin to not insert his name in the lineup at second base. He is hitting .306 this month with three home runs, four doubles, 15 runs, 12 RBI and 10 walks.
Kemp has one of the best personalities in all of baseball. Just watch how much fun he has during his postgame interviews.
.@tonykemp asked @dtrainmlb for a signed jersey in the middle of the postgame interview ? pic.twitter.com/oi5gGi9Qw7
— A's on NBCS (@NBCSAthletics) June 19, 2021
It is easy to have fun when you are as locked in as Kemp and his Athletics are. They are sitting in second in the American League West despite having more wins than Dusty Baker’s Astros.
The dude @tonykemp gets it! ? pic.twitter.com/7GJw7GBjIf
— Brodie Brazil (@BrodieNBCS) June 16, 2021
On the season, Kemp is hitting .276 with 25 runs scored, 17 RBI and four home runs. He’ll look to stay locked in when the A’s travel to Arlington, Texas, for a three-game series against the Rangers to start the week.