twins/mlb

Final Score: Los Angeles 3, Arizona 1

Los Angeles, CA (Sports Network) - Clayton Kershaw pitched seven scoreless innings to lift the Los Angeles Dodgers over the Arizona Diamondbacks, 3-1 in the opener of a two-game set.

Kershaw (3-1) scattered four hits and three walks while striking out six in the Dodgers' fifth straight win.

"He's been pretty solid. He seems to be getting stronger and better as we go," Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said about Kershaw.

Kenley Jansen worked a perfect ninth inning to earn his fourth save of the year.

Ian Kennedy (3-3) allowed three runs -- two earned -- on six hits and two walks over six full frames as Arizona dropped its third straight game and fell for the eighth time in its last nine.

"It's frustrating for all of us in here," Diamondbacks left fielder Jason Kubel said about his team's losing streak. "We haven't really clicked as a group."

The Dodgers took the early lead in the bottom of the first when Dee Gordon hit a leadoff single, advanced to third on an errant pick-off attempt by Kennedy and came home on Mark Ellis' groundout to first.

Arizona had a chance to tie the game in the third after A.J. Pollock started the inning with a base hit and moved to second on Kennedy's sacrifice bunt. Willie Bloomquist stepped up next and slapped a single to right-center field, but Tony Gwynn Jr. grabbed the ball and fired it home, catching Pollock at the plate as A.J. Ellis applied the tag on Pollock while he made a sliding effort at home.

After the Diamondbacks squandered another chance to get on the board in the sixth inning by stranding a runner on second base, Los Angeles added to its lead in the bottom of the frame with Andre Ethier's one-out blast over the right-field wall.

A.J. Ellis then singled, advanced to third on a James Loney base hit and came home on Adam Kennedy's sacrifice fly to give the Dodgers a 3-0 advantage.

Aaron Hill's solo shot over the left-field wall off Josh Lindblom in the eighth inning kept Arizona from being shut out for the first time this season.

Game Notes

Kershaw improved to 7-2 in 11 career starts against Arizona, while Ian Kennedy fell to 3-2 in six career starts against the Dodgers...The Diamondbacks hit 1- for-6 with runners in scoring position and left six men on base...Kershaw threw 64 of his 108 pitches for strikes...Dodgers center fielder Matt Kemp sat out the game with a strained left hamstring. He was placed on the 15-day disabled list after the game...Los Angeles recalled outfielder Jerry Sands from Triple-A Albuquerque to fill the roster spot.