PHOENIX — Ricky Nolasco gave up one run in seven innings in his Los Angeles debut and Adrian Gonzalez drove in three runs as the Dodgers beat Arizona 6-1 on Tuesday.
Nolasco, obtained from Miami for three minor leaguers on Saturday, gave up four hits and did not allow a run until Martin Prado’s RBI-single with two outs in the seventh. By that point the Dodgers were leading 6-0, and that was the only offense the Diamondbacks could muster on the night.
Gonzalez singled in the Dodgers’ final two runs in the sixth inning and was credited with a sacrifice fly in the fifth, when his bases-loaded fly ball was dropped for an error.
Nolasco (6-8) also singled, doubled, drove in a run and scored another. He struck out five and did not issue a walk.
Los Angeles (45-46) has won eight of its last nine and 14 of 17, and it has gained six games on the division-leading D-backs since the teams last met on June 12.
Ian Kennedy (3-5) gave up nine hits and five earned runs in 5 2/3 innings while making his first home start since May 15.
Aaron Hill doubled and scored the only run for Arizona (47-43), which has lost two in a row after a season-long five-game winning streak.
Hanley Ramirez’s career-high 19-game hitting streak ended when he went 0-for-4.
Kennedy, who triggered a benches-clearing brawl when he hit Dodgers right-hander Zack Greinke in the left shoulder June 11, hit Ramirez in the left shoulder with two outs and a runner on first base in the first inning. Ramirez walked to first, neither bench stirred and no warning was issued.
Nolasco’s two-out single in the second inning drove in the first run, after A.J. Eliis and Skip Schumaker opened the second inning with singles.
Andre Either singled, stole second, went to third on catcher Miguel Montero’s throwing error and scored on Schumaker’s infield grounder for a 2-0 lead in the fourth inning.
Arizona center fielder Adam Eaton, playing in his first game of the season after suffering an elbow injury in spring training, lost his footing and dropped Gonzalez’s fly ball to the warning track with the bases loaded in the fifth, permitting two runs to score as the Dodgers took a 4-0 lead.
NOTES: Dodgers CF Matt Kemp received positive news after an MRI in Los Angeles on Tuesday morning, manager Don Mattingly said. “His shoulder was fine, as far as the surgery and all that,” Mattingly said. “It was the A/C joint. So that was good news. It’s just a matter of letting it all calm down.” Mattingly said Kemp is unlikely to need a rehab assignment and should return from the disabled list when eligible July 21. Kemp underwent surgery to repair a torn left labrum on Oct. 5. … Arizona 3B Eric Chavez was scratched from the starting lineup with hip soreness. Martin Prado, scheduled to start in left field, was moved to third base, and Jason Kubel started in left. … The Diamondbacks and the Dodgers will open the 2014 season in Sydney, Australia, on March 22-23, 2014. The dates were announced at a press conference Tuesday. The D-backs will be the home team in both games.