Matt Kemp on pitching around him: ‘They can’t’

MILWAUKEE - When Matt Kemp talks about his sizzling start at the plate this year, he points to the two teammates batting behind him in the Dodgers lineup: Andre Ethier and Juan Rivera.

Before the Dodgers’ game against the Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park on Tuesday night, Kemp was asked whether pitchers can still throw around him, giving Kemp little to hit and possibly walking him. “They can’t,” Kemp replied.

“It definitely helps that I have Dre hitting behind me,” Kemp said of Ethier. “Juan’s protecting Dre also, so we’ve got protection in the lineup now.”

Kemp has blistered the ball so far. Before Tuesday’s game, Kemp led the National League in batting average (.487), home runs (six), runs batted in (16) and hits (19).

He was selected National League player of the week for the second consecutive week. He also won the award the last week of the 2011 season, so he became the first player to do it for three consecutive weeks.

“I forgot that I got it the last week of the season,” Kemp said. “I didn’t know until someone told me on Twitter.”

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Matt Kemp on pitching around him: ‘They can’t’