Slumping Matt Kemp returns to Dodger Stadium

LOS ANGELES -- A pair of struggling offenses open a series on Friday night in Los Angeles, with the Dodgers held scoreless for their last 31 innings and the Padres going 14 straight frames without a run. But perhaps nobody embodies the slump at the plate more than Matt Kemp, making his second trip to Dodger Stadium as a visitor.

Kemp comes to town with just one home run in 42 games and 176 plate appearances this season, hitting .259/.290/.355. His home run came April 18 at Wrigley Field, and since then has gone 30 games and 127 plate appearances without a long ball, the second-longest drought of his career.

Kemp went 43 games and 139 plate appearances without a home run as a Dodger from June 15, 2006 to June 10, 2007.

But even without the power he got off to a relatively good start in April, hitting .326/.357/.478 with seven doubles, two triples and 16 RBI in 23 games. But May has been a different story.

Kemp in May is 13-for-74 with two doubles, 20 strikeouts and only one walk, hitting just .176/.205/.203. The honeymoon period it appears has ended, with Padres fans booing him this week.

"The timing's a little bit off," Padres manager Bud Black told Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune. "He's just a little bit in between right now, which happens. He's going through a rough patch."

So far this season Kemp has done well against his old team, going 10-for-24 (.417) with three doubles and three RBI in six games, including 5-for-13 (.385) with a double in the opening series of the year at Dodger Stadium.

Kemp bats third for San Diego on Friday night, the same position in the batting order he has held for his previous 41 starts this season. He is 3-for-10 with a pair of walks and three strikeouts against Zack Greinke, starting for the Dodgers.