Dodgers power four home runs in 9-5 home-opening victory

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Ah, home. Seems as if there’s nothing like the cozy confines to make the world all right with the Dodgers.

At least on the offensive end.

A Dodgers team that had hit only three home runs in its first six games, came back to Los Angeles Tuesday for its home opener and immediately started powering the ball.

The Dodgers had four home runs in the first six innings and went on to defeat the Diamondbacks, 9-5, before a crowd of 56,000 at Dodger Stadium.

Manny Ramirez gave the Dodgers the lead with a 435-foot shot in the fourth, Casey Blake followed with a two-run blast, Matt Kemp added a solo homer in the fifth and then Andre Ethier capped the offensive explosion with a three-run shot in the sixth.

Home, however, didn’t change a great deal of left--hander Clayton Kershaw’s fortunes.

Kershaw went 5 1/3 innings, allowing two runs on just three hits, but he walked five and threw 110 pitches. He struck out seven.

Kershaw had thrown 109 pitches in the 4 2/3 innings of his first start. He left Tuesday’s game after walking his first two hitters in the sixth. Jeff Weaver took over one out later and gave up a run-scoring single to catcher Chris Snyder.

The Diamondbacks got three runs back against reliever Ramon Ortiz in the seventh. Ortiz, who was brilliant during spring training, gave up a two-run homer to Mark Reynolds, a double to Chris Young and a run-scoring single to Kelly Johnson.

The Dodgers raised their early record to 3-4 with the victory. They are now 28-25 in home openers since moving to Los Angeles in 1958.

-- Steve Dilbeck