Kershaw Gets No Run Support From Dodgers, Lose 1-0 To D'Backs
NL WEST STANDINGS | WILD CARD RACE
PHOENIX (AP) - Ian 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 on Tuesday night.
Arizona left fielder Jason Kubel robbed 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 losing streak.
Kennedy (13-11) gave up four hits in 7 1-3 innings, striking out six and walking none.
Kershaw (12-9) allowed three hits, striking out five and walking three in seven innings. He is 0-2 in his last three starts despite allowing a combined three earned runs.
After regular closer J.J. Putz blew consecutive saves last week, David Hernandez came on in the ninth and gave up a two-out double to Shane Victorino. Adrian Gonzalez then 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 hardest hit of the night off Kershaw, a double that easily scored Goldschmidt.
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 home run, and the game remained scoreless.
Kemp doubled with two outs in the seventh but was stranded after Ramirez's check-swing dribbler to the pitcher.
NOTES: Arizona last won at home on Aug. 22, when it swept a doubleheader from Miami. ... Kershaw leads the NL with 206 strikeouts. ... Los Angeles starts Aaron Harang (9-8, 3.75 ERA) in the finale of the brief series while Arizona goes with Trevor Cahill (10-11, 3.98). ... Goldschmidt's single in the fourth was his first hit against Kershaw in 10 at-bats. ... Arizona improved to 11-6 against the Dodgers this season with one game remaining.
