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The red-hot Los Angeles Dodger continue their homestand with a brief two-game series against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Dodger Stadium. Monday's opener features a battle of 2011 National League Cy Young Award candidates, with the winner Clayton Kershaw on the mound for the Dodgers facing fourth place finisher Ian Kennedy for Arizona.
Kershaw is 2-1 with a 2.56 ERA this season and if you can believe it, he has just the third best ERA by a lett-hander on the Dodgers' starting staff, behind Chris Capuano (5-0, 2.06) and Ted Lilly (5-0, 2.11) so far this season. Kershaw though is rounding into form, having pitched seven innings or more in each of his last four starts. During that span Kershaw was 28 strikeouts and just five walks.
Kennedy is 3-2 with a 3.91 through seven starts this season, with 37 strikeouts against just 11 walks. Kennedy has pitched at least six innings in all seven of his starts on the year, and in three road efforts has allowed just four total runs.
The Dodgers await word on the results from Matt Kemp's MRI, as the superstar center fielder has been dealing with left hamstring tightness for about a week. Whether or not Kemp goes on the disabled list, he is likely to be held out of the starting lineup as a precaution on Monday night.
"I think I just need to let it heal for a little bit," Kemp said on Sunday. "I don't know how much time that's going to take, but we'll see."
The Dodgers have won four straight games and are a stellar 15-3 at Dodger Stadium on the season. They are 12-4 against National League West teams, though Monday is their first meeting this season against the Diamondbacks. These two teams face off five times over the next 10 days.
For more news and notes on Dodgers baseball, be sure to read True Blue LA.
