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Kennedy aims to pitch Arizona past Royals in KC

Jun 22, 2011 - 2:48 PM (Sports Network) - A long-awaited home run from Wily Mo Pena helped push the Diamondbacks into first place in the National League West. Another strong outing from Ian Kennedy could help them stay there.

Arizona takes aim at a second straight win tonight as it continues a three- game series with the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium.

Pena was recalled from Triple-A Reno prior to Tuesday's game with the Diamondbacks in need of a designated hitter due to a trip to an American League park. After hitting .363 with 21 homers and 63 RBI with Reno, Pena wasted little time proving his worth, blasting his first major league homer since June 24, 2008.

Pena's homer marked the Diamondbacks' first run of the game and tied things at 1-1. Justin Upton then doubled home Kelly Johnson in the sixth inning to put Arizona ahead and the club pulled away with five runs over the next two frames. Chris Young capped the burst with a two-run homer in the eighth, but it was Pena's longball that caught Upton's eye.

"That was probably one of the more impressive home runs I've ever seen," Upton told Arizona's website. "That ball was on a line and if it didn't run into something it was going to keep going. It was an impressive swing. We hope to get more of that out of him."

By halting a two-game slide, the D-Backs moved a half-game up on the Giants for the top spot in the NL West. Kennedy will be tasked with at least maintaining that advantage as he looks to build off a superb outing last time out.

Kennedy received a tough-luck no-decision on Thursday versus the Giants, allowing only one unearned run on four hits in eight innings. The righty also matched a season high with 10 strikeouts, but Arizona needed extra innings to beat San Francisco, doing so in the 10th inning on Upton's homer.

"He pitched unbelievable, and everyone knows that," Upton said on Arizona's website. "As long as Ian gives us a chance to win, we'll win the games he pitches."

Ironically, Kennedy was coming off a win over the Marlins on June 11 in which he was tagged for five runs and three homers over eight innings of a 9-5 decision, striking out nine. In 15 starts this season, the 26-year-old is 7-2 with a 2.98 earned run average, as well as 4-0 with a 2.40 ERA in six outings on the road.

Kennedy has faced the Royals twice in his career, including one start, and has yet to post a decision with a 4.50 ERA.

Jeff Francis will be looking to rebound from his shortest outing in nearly two months when he draws the start tonight for the Royals.

After hurling at least six innings in seven straight outings, the 30-year-old Francis lasted just 3 1/3 frames against Oakland on Thursday. He was banged around for a season-high six runs on nine hits and two walks in his shortest appearance since lasting a mere three innings versus the Indians on April 27.

"Falling behind on certain guys in certain situations doesn't do me any favors," Francis said. "Guys have a few more comfortable at-bats. Even when I do throw a good pitch they put some good swings on them. Execution all around I think could be a lot better."

Francis, 30, fell to 3-7 with a 4.83 ERA in 15 starts this year. A former starter for the Rockies, he is 7-6 with a 4.84 ERA in 19 career games versus the Diamondbacks.

Francis could get on track if he can mirror what Luke Hochevar did early in his start on Tuesday. Hochevar retired the first 11 hitters he faced, but ran into trouble late and ended up allowing five runs over seven innings of work.

Alex Gordon had three hits, including a homer to lead off the bottom of the first, and drove in both Royals runs as the club dropped its third straight and fifth in six games.

The D-Backs won two of three at Kansas City in the last meeting between the teams in 2009, with Arizona recording back-to-back 12-5 wins to close out the set.