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Kennedy goes for win No. 20 in opener with Bucs

Sep 19, 2011 - 3:15 PM (Sports Network) - Twenty victories would be special for Ian Kennedy, not just because he would be only the fourth Diamondback to reach the mark in club history, but because it would move the club one step closer to a division title.

Hoping to hold off one of the hottest teams in baseball, Arizona seeks to take advantage of a struggling Pittsburgh Pirates club this evening in the opener of a three-game series.

The Diamondbacks own a five-game lead over the Giants for first place in the National League West with nine games to play and avoided a three-game sweep in San Diego with a 5-1 victory on Sunday. The victory was much-needed as San Francisco has won eight in a row to keep the pressure on.

Paul Goldschmidt homered and drove in three runs to key yesterday's win, while Miguel Montero hit a solo homer and Joe Saunders scattered an unearned run over 8 2/3 innings. J.J. Putz recorded the final out with two runners in scoring position to earn his career-best 41st save.

"The Giants have been playing great, they're on a big winning streak, so we needed to match it. We did today," Diamondbacks manager Kirk Gibson said. "Saunders was outstanding. He was in control the whole game."

Arizona begins a nine-game homestand, which includes a visit from the Giants this weekend, with Kennedy looking to become the majors' second 20-game winner along with Detroit's Justin Verlander. He failed in his first bid on Tuesday as he did not factor into the decision of a 5-4 win over the Dodgers. Kennedy was charged with four runs over six innings, giving him a 19-4 record and 2.99 earned run average on the season.

"I didn't have my best stuff. My command wasn't as sharp. I'm glad my team picked me up," said Kennedy, who is looking to become Arizona's first 20-game winner since Brandon Webb won 22 in 2008.

The right-hander had given up just three earned runs over a four-game win streak and has still won 11 of his past 12 decisions. The 26-year-old is also 9-2 with a 2.81 ERA in 16 starts at home.

Kennedy has faced the Pirates just once before and did not get a decision after allowing one earned run over six innings. He faces a Pittsburgh club tonight that has been outscored 28-4 over a three-game slide and has lost eight of its last 10 overall.

The Pirates matched a season high in runs allowed with Sunday's 15-1 loss and also matched a club record in the lopsided defeat by using eight pitchers. Pittsburgh trailed by 11 runs after three innings.

"They beat us up with the bats. We haven't been pitching," Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. "We threw 218 pitches today. We're not executing. We can't catch a fly ball in the outfield. We have to re-check our focus."

Brad Lincoln (1-3) lasted just 1 2/3 innings, giving up six runs on eight hits. Pittsburgh scored its lone run in the fifth on a RBI double by Xavier Paul.

The Pirates will start Jeff Karstens tonight and he pitched for the first time in 16 days on Tuesday after having two starts skipped due to arm soreness and fatigue. The righty lost his last two starts in August and did not get a decision versus the Cardinals last time out, giving up four runs over 4 1/3 innings of a 6-4 defeat.

"I really didn't command my fastball very well and when I left it over the plate they were able to do some damage with it," said Karstens.

The 28-year-old is 9-8 with a 3.45 ERA on the season and hasn't won since Aug. 10. He is 1-0 with a 2.01 ERA in six career games versus Arizona, including two starts, and did not get a decision when he faced them on June 9 despite seven scoreless innings of four-run ball.

The Pirates lost that game, 2-0, in the finale of a three-game set in Pittsburgh to snap a five-game series win streak.