Kennedy, D-backs use unearned run to beat Dodgers

PHOENIX - Ian Kennedy has been maddeningly inconsistent in the follow-up year to his 21-win season.

His performance Tuesday night was a reminder of how good he can be.

Kennedy pitched neatly into the eighth inning and the Arizona Diamondbacks used an unearned run to beat Clayton Kershaw and the Los Angeles Dodgers 1-0.

It was the first 1-0 victory of the season for the Diamondbacks, who needed left fielder Jason Kubel to rob Luis Cruz of a two-run homer with a leaping grab at the wall to end the fifth inning.

The lone run came in the seventh, when Paul Goldschmidt reached on shortstop Hanley Ramirez's throwing error and scored from first on Miguel Montero's double.

With San Francisco's win at Colorado, the Dodgers fell six games behind the first-place Giants in the NL West. Arizona ended a six-game home losing streak.

Kennedy (13-11) gave up four hits in 7 1-3 innings, striking out six and walking none.

"Really what made my fastball better was the execution of my off-speed pitches," Kennedy said. "I was throwing those for strikes and when you do that it's going to be a good game, at least you give your team a chance. You've got to against Kershaw, he's one of the best pitchers in the game."

Kershaw (12-9) allowed three hits, striking out five and walking three in seven innings.

"I blinked first tonight," Kershaw said. "I threw a pitch I shouldn't have. I didn't put it where I wanted to and Miguel did a good job with it and made me pay for it. You can't blink first in those games and I did."

Montero said he hit a slider a little over the plate. It was about the only hard-hit ball off of Kershaw.

"That was the best he's looked in the times we've faced him this year," Montero said. "He had everything going. I ran into one pitch and that was the difference. But his stuff was very, very good."

Kershaw is 0-2 in his last three starts despite allowing a combined three earned runs. The Dodgers have lost all three games.

"It hurts when he pitches so good and we don't get a win," Los Angeles manager Don Mattingly said.

But, Kershaw said, "They all hurt the same right now."

Regular closer J.J. Putz, who blew consecutive saves last week, was out with a stiff back, manager Kirk Gibson said, so David Hernandez came on in the ninth. He gave up a two-out double to Shane Victorino, then Adrian Gonzalez struck out looking, staring at home plate umpire Dan Iassogna after the pitch.

Kennedy got big defensive plays from third baseman Chris Johnson and second baseman Aaron Hill. Johnson nabbed Kershaw's sharp line drive in the sixth and Hill made a lunging grab on Andre Ethier's liner leading off the seventh.

Kennedy, a 21-game winner a year ago, left after giving up a single to Luis Cruz. Brad Ziegler came on and got a double-play grounder to end the inning. Ziegler has induced major-league best 17 double plays, most by a National League reliever since Jeremy Affeldt's 18 in 2009.

Goldschmidt reached for the third time when Ramirez's throw on a deep ground ball bounced in front of first base and Gonzalez couldn't handle it. Montero followed with the double to deep right-center that easily scored Goldschmidt, who had been picked off at first by Kershaw in the second.

Montero advanced to third on a passed ball and tried to score on Johnson's fly ball to center. But Matt Kemp's throw arrived first and Montero was out on a close play, ending the inning.

The Diamondbacks loaded the bases in the third when John McDonald singled with one out, then Adam Eaton and Hill drew two-out walks. The threat ended when Kubel bounced out.

The Dodgers got a runner to second when Ethier doubled to left-center with two outs in the fifth. On the next pitch, Cruz launched one to deep left but Kubel, backtracking in a hurry, made a leaping grab at the wall to rob him of what would have been a two-run homer, and the game remained scoreless.

"I wasn't sure if it was going to get out or not but thankfully it hung up a little bit so I could get under it," Kubel said. "It was fun. I'm just happy it worked out and thankfully it saved us a couple of runs. It could have been 2-1, who knows?"

Kemp doubled with two outs in the seventh but was stranded after Ramirez's check-swing dribbler to the pitcher.