Diamondbacks beat Dodgers 2-0 to end 6-game skid
LOS ANGELES — Ian Kennedy pitched two-hit ball into the seventh inning and Chris Young hit a two-run homer off Clayton Kershaw to help the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 2-0 Thursday night, snapping a six-game skid.
The Diamondbacks extended their winning streak over the Dodgers to seven in a row in the opener of a four-game series. Los Angeles lost for the seventh time in 10 games on a night when slugger Matt Kemp was out of the starting lineup with a stiff left shoulder.
Kennedy (12-11) struck out seven and walked two over 6 1-3 innings, bouncing back from a loss against San Diego in his previous outing. His last six starts against the Dodgers have been decided by three runs or less.
J.J. Putz gave up consecutive singles to Adrian Gonzalez and Hanley Ramirez to start the ninth before retiring the next three batters for his 27th save in 30 chances. Juan Rivera popped out with runners at the corners to end it.
Kershaw (12-8) gave up two runs and nine hits in six innings. He struck out nine and walked three but lost for the second time in three starts.
Miguel Montero led off the fourth with a double — the first of four consecutive hits allowed by Kershaw. Young sent a 2-2 pitch just inside the left-field foul pole for his 14th homer.
Kershaw then gave up a single to Gerardo Parra and was called for a balk when he threw to first base. John McDonald followed with a single before the Dodgers got their first out and then ended the inning with a double play.
Until the ninth, the biggest cheers from the sellout crowd of 54,621 were reserved for Hall of Fame broadcaster Vin Scully, who had his first bobblehead night four days after announcing he would return to the booth for a record 64th season in 2013.
NOTES: Kemp’s stiff shoulder was an aftereffect of running into the fence at full speed on Tuesday in Denver. ... Dodgers RHP Chad Billingsley had a platelet-rich plasma injection in his injured right elbow, with manager Don Mattingly hopeful it will reveal whether Billingsley can pitch again this season. ... Diamondbacks 3B Chris Johnson was out of the lineup with the flu. ... The Dodgers reinstated RHP Matt Guerrier from the 60-day disabled list, optioned RHP Josh Wall to Triple-A Albuquerque and transferred SS Dee Gordon to the 60-day DL. Gordon is eligible to be reinstated on Sept. 3. Guerrier is 0-1 with a 2.70 ERA in seven games, but hasn’t appeared in a game since April 18. He made five rehab appearances at Class-A Rancho Cucamonga, posting a 3.00 ERA with five strikeouts and no walks. Wall had made two relief appearances since he was recalled from Albuquerque on Monday, allowing three runs in 1 1-3 innings. ... Instead of Scully throwing out the first pitch as announced, 15 of his 16 grandchildren — ranging in age from 5 to 22 and wearing Dodgers jerseys with his name on the back — stood along the third-base line. He handed the ball to them and they passed it along until giving it back to Scully, who flipped it to Mattingly. Scully’s 16-year-old granddaughter, Mackenzie Luderer, sang the national anthem and “God Bless America.”