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Clayton Kershaw appears mortal in Dodgers’ 4-3 loss to Arizona

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Clayton Kershaw on the mound in the seventh inning, the Dodgers having rallied for a one-run lead, closing in on their first road sweep of the season.

What could go wrong?

Come, now, these are your 2011 Dodgers. Favorite team of Murphy’s Law. All bad things are possible.

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Like a 35-year-old who has spent most of his career in the minors jumping on Kershaw for a game-winning, two-run homer Sunday to lead the Arizona Diamondbacks to a 4-3 victory in Phoenix.

For Cody Ransom, called up last week from triple-A Reno, it was his first home run of the season. Well, of course.

It was the second two-run homer of the game given up by Kershaw. He started the game wild, throwing seven consecutive balls before Kelly Johnson hit a two-run homer.

And with Ian Kennedy pitching for the Diamondbacks, it looked like a reasonably safe lead for Arizona. The Dodgers have not exactly been a comeback team this season.

Kennedy was shutting out the Dodgers when James Loney opened the fifth with a home run. It was his first home run since June 12 and fifth of the year.

With Kershaw -- who had won five consecutive starts -- seemingly having regained his footing, the Dodgers took the lead with two runs in the sixth. Aaron Miles singled and scored on Andre Ethier’s double. Juan Rivera’s single drove in Ethier, and the Dodgers suddenly had a 3-2 lead.

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Only Kershaw (13-5) appeared to tire in the seventh when Collin Cowgill singled and Ransom crushed his two-run homer to left. Kershaw jumped almost four feet straight into the air when Ransom swung.

Kershaw, who had thrown 110 and 125 pitches in his last two starts, gave up four runs on five hits and three walks in 6 1/3 innings. He struck out seven and threw 113 pitches.

Kennedy went to 14-3 with the victory. He pitched seven innings, giving up three runs on six hits and one walk with three strikeouts.

-- Steve Dilbeck

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