LOS ANGELES _ Kike Hernandez flicked his wrist and saluted Sunday's man of honor, imitating a Kobe Bryant jump shot as he crossed home plate.
On a day dedicated to the late Los Angeles Lakers legend, who was commemorated on what would have been his 42nd birthday, Hernandez's subtle nod made the celebration feel complete.
The three-run, opposite-field blast in the fourth inning was one of a season-high seven home runs for the Los Angeles Dodgers, who completed a three-game sweep of the Colorado Rockies with an 11-3 win and reached the halfway point of a pandemic-shortened season with the best record (22-8) in the majors.
But in the club's first opportunity to truly honor one of the city's all-time sports heroes, memories of the Black Mamba overshadowed all else.
Bryant was ever-present from the start, his face flashed across the scoreboard during a ceremonial pregame video narrated by Vin Scully and his voice reverberating around the venue as old clips played between innings.
Every member of the Dodgers, as well as former Dodger and current Rockies outfielder Matt Kemp, donned one of Bryant's gold Lakers jerseys during the pregame remembrance. The numerals "24" and "2" _ in recognition of Bryant's 13-year-old daughter Gianna, one of the other eight people killed in a helicopter crash _ were also sketched out across the back of the mound.
Asked before the game about Bryant's legacy in Los Angeles, Dave Roberts paused before answering.
"Tenacity. Consistency. Winning," said the fifth-year manager, whose tenure as a Dodgers player overlapped with Bryant's time as a Laker, from 2002 to 2004.
"Just the compete. Doing things the right way. Really looking out and being a servant to so many people in Los Angeles and greater Los Angeles."
Hernandez's home run was one of 10 balls that left the park on a grueling, gusty summer day at Dodger Stadium. Dodgers starter Ross Stripling lasted just four innings, conceding solo shots to Trevor Story and Ryan McMahon in a two-run start. But his counterpart for Colorado (13-15), Antonio Senzatela, fared even worse.
All six of the runs Senzatela surrendered came via the big fly. Corey Seager and Mookie Betts homered to left in the opening three innings, getting a boost from an outward breeze as the Dodgers recorded their 24th game with at least one home run and 17th of at least two.
Hernandez's shot went the other way, clearing the wall in right-center field to break open a 2-2 tie.
In the sixth, Cody Bellinger added to the lead with his eighth home run and sixth in his last 10 games. An inning after that, Will Smith marked his return from the injured list with a solo shot to center.
Max Muncy and Betts piled on with two more long balls in the eighth to help the Dodgers match a season high in runs. AJ Pollock's seventh-inning sacrifice fly was the game's only run not to score on a homer.
