Los Angeles, CA (Sports Network) - Manny Ramirez's first home run of the season was one of four longballs against Arizona pitching in Los Angeles' 2010 home opener at Dodger Stadium, a 9-5 win over the NL West-rival Diamondbacks.
Andre Ethier returned to the starting lineup after being limited due to a sprained ankle and launched a three-run homer among a two-hit effort. Casey Blake connected on a two-run shot, and Ramirez and Matt Kemp had solo blasts for LA, which opened the season by going 2-4 on a six-game road trip.
Starter Clayton Kershaw (1-0) struck out seven in 5 1/3 innings to get the win but also walked five while allowing two runs on three hits.
Arizona's Ian Kennedy (0-1) was tagged for three of the four Dodger home runs to wind up with the loss. The young right-hander was pulled after 4 1/3 innings, having given up six runs on six hits and three walks.
Mark Reynolds hit a two-run homer, his third of the season, and Chris Young had two hits, walked and drove in one for the Diamondbacks, who opened their 2010 slate with a 4-2 homestand.
Ramirez broke a 1-1 tie with a home run to deep left-center leading off the fourth. James Loney followed with a double, and Blake sent an 0-1 fastball back over the center-field wall to open up a 4-1 Dodgers lead.
The D'Backs threatened an inning later after Kershaw walked two and plunked Stephen Drew to load the bases for Justin Upton with one out. Upton grounded to third for a force out at home, and Adam LaRoche flied out to end the frame.
Kemp took Kennedy deep in the bottom half, Ethier followed with a base hit and Ramirez walked to bring on Jordan Norberto in relief of Kennedy. Loney popped up for the second out, but Blake walked to load the bases, and Blake DeWitt drew another free pass to force in a run to make it 6-1.
Kershaw came back to walk the first two batters in the sixth, and Jeff Weaver took over on the bump with one out and Chris Snyder at the plate. Snyder's base hit to center got one back for the visitors, but Weaver escaped further trouble.
Esmerling Vasquez entered for Arizona to start the bottom half and allowed two of the first three batters to reach base to set up Ethier's three-run blast to right field for a 9-2 game.
Arizona showed life in the seventh with Reynolds' home run off Ramon Ortiz. Young followed with a double, and Kelly Johnson ripped an RBI single to right, but Ramon Troncoso came on to record the final out and avoid further damage.
Troncoso stayed on for the eighth and got Upton to bounce into an inning- ending double play, and Jonathan Broxton struck out two of the three batters he faced in a spotless ninth to polish off the win.
Kennedy was able to work out of trouble early with the bases loaded and one out in the second, holding LA to a single run on Russell Martin's sacrifice fly. Kershaw went down swinging to end the frame.
Arizona tied it in the top of the fourth on Young's two-out single into center field to score LaRoche, who had doubled.
Loney, Kemp and Ethier each had two hits and scored two runs, while DeWitt walked in all three of his plate appearances...The Diamondbacks went 3-for-14 with runners in scoring position and stranded 10 runners...Kemp's home run was his second of the season, while Blake and Ethier both homered for the first time...The Dodgers won 11 of 18 over the Diamondbacks a season ago, including six of nine played at Dodger Stadium...Wednesday's second installment to this three-game series will feature Dodgers right-hander Chad Billingsley toeing the rubber against Arizona's Rodrigo Lopez.