Diamondbacks 3 - 4 Dodgers
Final
  for this game

Dodgers open set with Diamondbacks in LA

May 13, 2011 - 2:57 PM (Sports Network) - Clayton Kershaw tries to pitch the Los Angeles Dodgers to a third straight win this evening when they open a three-game series with the struggling Arizona Diamondbacks at Dodger Stadium.

Kershaw won his second straight start on Sunday against the New York Mets, holding them to a run and six hits in 6 2/3 innings. He also walked three and struck out eight, as he improved to 4-3 on the year and lowered his earned run average to 3.12. Two of his walks came in the first inning.

"That got my pitch count up, and it was an uphill battle to stay in the game from there," he said. "It wasn't great, but it got the job done. It's always good to compete and battle. From there, I didn't walk anybody until the last inning."

Kershaw has faced Arizona six times and is 3-1 against it with a 2.70 ERA.

The Diamondbacks, meanwhile, will pin their hopes on a lefty of their own in Joe Saunders, who is still searching for his first win of the season. Saunders fell to 0-4 on Sunday in San Diego, as he allowed four first innings runs and gave up five hits in six innings to raise his ERA to 5.72.

"He didn't come out very sharp," D-backs manager Kirk Gibson said of Saunders. "Just a bad first inning for us."

Saunders is just 1-2 lifetime against the Dodgers and has pitched to a 3.52 ERA in five starts.

Arizona dropped its fourth straight game on Thursday, falling 3-2 to the San Francisco Giants at AT&T Park.

Daniel Hudson (3-5) allowed three runs on seven hits and walked three over 6 2/3 innings in the setback, Arizona's fourth in a row by one run.

"I was able to make pitches when I needed to except for the seventh," Hudson said. "I thought I made some decent pitches, but they just put some good swings on them. You can't do anything but tip your caps to them sometimes."

The Dodgers, meanwhile, were rained out on Thursday in Pittsburgh after they had taken the first two games of the set. With them holding a 1-0 advantage in the second inning the rains came and two hours later the game was called.

No makeup date was announced.

Andre Ethier, who has hit safely in his last 15 games at Chavez Ravine, has also reached base in 35 consecutive games, the longest active streak in the majors. Duke Snider reached base in 58 consecutive games in 1954, and holds the franchise record.

The Dodgers were 13-5 against the Diamondbacks last season, with a 7-2 record at Chavez Ravine.






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