Nationals 9 - 4 Diamondbacks
Final/11
  for this game

Kennedy goes for Diamondbacks in finale with Nats

Jun 5, 2011 - 2:36 PM (Sports Network) - Ian Kennedy tries to bounce back from his second loss of the season this afternoon when the Arizona Diamondbacks close a four-game set with the Washington Nationals at Chase Field.

Kennedy lost for the first time in nine starts on Tuesday against Florida, as he gave up three runs and five hits in five innings, dropping him to 6-2 on the season, while raising his earned run average to 3.16.

"They did a good job of working him," said Arizona manager Kirk Gibson. "They got his pitch count up, extended him in the second, third and fourth innings and he maybe wasn't as sharp as he has been in the past."

Kennedy has faced the Nats twice and is 1-1 with a 4.91 ERA in those outings.

The talented right-hander will also try to continue Arizona's impressive string of starting pitching. After blanking the Nationals on Friday, Joe Saunders turned in another seven scoreless innings on Saturday in the Diamondbacks' 2-0 victory.

Xavier Nady and Stephen Drew provided the offense with an RBI apiece for Arizona, which is now 18-4 over its last 22 games and sits a half game ahead of the San Francisco Giants atop the National League West standings.

"That's a very good accomplishment," D-backs manager Kirk Gibson said. "I've had confidence in these guys all along, from the get-go, even when things don't look good -- but our rotation has gelled pretty good."

Saunders (3-5) gave up two hits to go along with five strikeouts and two walks to earn his third straight win after opening the year by losing his first five decisions.

"I felt good," Saunders said. "The command was good. It was a little shaky there in the first inning."

Livan Hernandez (3-7) allowed two runs on four hits over seven full frames to suffer the loss for the Nationals, who have lost two in a row since a three- game winning streak. He also walked four and struck out three.

Should the Nationals, who have been shut out nine times this season, fail to score again today, it would mark the first time the franchise has been blanked in three straight contests since April 13-15, 2004, when they were the Montreal Expos.

Heading to the hill for Washington this afternoon will be veteran righty Jason Marquis, who outdueled Philadelphia's Cliff Lee his last time out. Marquis earned the win in that one, surrendering a pair of runs and eight hits in 6 1/3 innings to improve to 6-2 on the year to go along with a 4.13 ERA.

Marquis, though, has struggled in his career against the Diamondbacks, going just 2-7 in 13 games (12 starts) with a 4.48 ERA. He's also 0-4 with a 4.78 ERA in seven starts at Arizona

Washington won four of its seven meetings with the Diamondbacks a year ago.






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