Padres' new faces can't take down Dodgers

LOS ANGELES -- In a frenzied 24-hour stretch in mid-December, the San Diego Padres shed years of irrelevance by acquiring power-hitting outfielders Matt Kemp, Justin Upton and Wil Myers, as well as catcher Derek Norris.

The Padres capped their ultra-busy offseason by landing a new staff ace in James Shields and, with a stunning trade on Sunday, a new closer in Craig Kimbrel, boosting their case as the top challengers to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West.

The defending two-time division champs didn't exactly sit idle after winning 94 games, though. After revamping the front office, Los Angeles installed rookie Joc Pederson in center field and brought in a new keystone duo in shortstop Jimmy Rollins and second baseman Howie Kendrick.

Several of the principal figures involved in the combined 22 trades by both clubs made their debuts with their new clubs at Dodger Stadium on Monday, with Kemp initially taking center stage but Rollins having the final say. His three-run homer in the eighth inning spelled the difference in L.A.'s 6-3 victory.

Rollins and Kendrick totaled four hits – three of them for extra bases – and four RBI as the Dodgers served notice that, though their upgrades may not have been as flashy as San Diego's, they figure to help them win plenty of games. The double-play combo quickly ingratiated themselves to their new fans by not only delivering at the plate but also fielding flawlessly as the Dodgers won their fifth consecutive season opener.

"It's always great that it's a good first impression, but you don't look bad when you win," said Rollins, acquired in a Dec. 19 swap after 15 seasons with the Philadelphia Phillies. "You get that 'W,' everybody looks good, everybody. It just so happens we were able to get some hits along the way.''

So did Kemp, even if they eventually went for naught.

The capacity crowd of 53,518 greeted Kemp with warm ovations both during pregame introductions and when he came up to the plate in the first inning, a tribute to his often-spectacular nine seasons in Dodger blue.

But the enthusiasm for the former homegrown hero dwindled with every subsequent at-bat, as he produced an RBI single in the first off reigning NL MVP and Cy Young Award winner Clayton Kershaw, then a two-run double in the fifth to put San Diego ahead 3-2.

Kemp posted an emotional farewell message to the fans on his Instagram account after news of his Dec. 18 trade to the Padres got out, and clearly had this game circled on his calendar since that day. Manager Bud Black joked before the game that Kemp showed up at the ballpark around 4:30 a.m.

The ovations obviously touched Kemp, who took his helmet off to acknowledge the crowd before his first at-bat.

"It was exciting. Overwhelming,'' he said. "It was great to come back here and get the love that I got. A little emotional, but I felt good.''

Kemp looked good at the plate against Kershaw, who had allowed just one earned run in four previous Opening Day starts, spanning 25 2/3 innings.

He left the game trailing 3-2 after six and stood to take the loss until the Dodgers rallied on Kendrick's tying double with two outs in the seventh, then Rollins' big blow off faltering reliever Shawn Kelley in the eighth.

"He got the better of me today,'' Kershaw said of yielding two hits and three RBI to Kemp. "I got a lot of years left to face him, hopefully. I have to start figuring it out and getting him out.''

Kemp was far from the only new Padre enjoying an auspicious debut.

Shields, signed as a free agent to a four-year, $75 million contract to lead the San Diego rotation, closed out his six innings of two-run ball with a flourish, striking out his final two batters to strand a runner on third and preserve the lead.

Burly catcher Derek Norris was a major contributor with his legs. Norris turned what looked like a routine grounder to third into a hustle single to keep the fifth inning alive, then came around to score the go-ahead run from first on Kemp's two-RBI double.

But Rollins' homer off Kelley – Black opted not to bring in elite setup man Joaquin Benoit with the game on the line – prevented the Padres from using their newest big-ticket acquisition, Kimbrel. The majors' saves leader over the last four seasons made it to the ballpark about an hour before the game and was available.

Kimbrel acknowledged being blindsided by the trade and having mixed emotions about leaving the Atlanta Braves, who drafted him in 2008, but was impressed as he watched from afar the Padres' offseason makeover.

"You could definitely tell this organization was going after it,'' Kimbrel said. "It's not an in-a-few-years deal; it's right now. As a player, that's exciting, because you don't know how long you're going to play this game. Right now is what we all want and it's what this team wants.''

Clearly, so do the Dodgers.