Kennedy struggles in D-backs' 15-5 loss to Cards

PHOENIX – About everything that could go wrong for Arizona Diamondbacks starter Ian Kennedy did on Wednesday.

"I was off on pretty much everything," Kennedy said after allowing nine runs over three innings in the Diamondbacks' 15-5 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals on Wednesday night.

"The command, the curveball was getting over but nothing else was getting over. I was really battling against myself. It was pretty bad. This is by far the worst outing I've had in a long time."

In fact, it was the right-hander's shortest outing as a starter since August 8, 2008 when he lasted only two innings against Anaheim.

"He didn't have his velocity," said Diamondbacks manager Kirk Gibson. "His secondary pitches were not good. He couldn't get them over. The ones he did get over were up in the zone and there wasn't much action to them. It was a tough night for him."

Kennedy's control issues also proved challenging to the Cardinals' hitters, even as they touched him for seven hits, five for extra bases.

"He had one of those games where he couldn't get the ball down in the zone," said Ryan Theriot, one of two hitters Kennedy (1-1) hit on the hand. "It was scary for us as batters."

The 15 runs allowed by Arizona were the most since a 17-3 loss to Milwaukee on May 8 of last season.

Russell Branyan hit his first home run for the Diamondbacks, who scored five runs off Cardinals starter Jake Westbrook (1-1) in the fourth and fifth innings.

"It is tough to be in a game like that but they kept battling," said Gibson. "It was a lot to make up. I've played in several games like that and you can push yourself as much as you want. It's frustrating. It's disappointing."

Skip Schumaker also homered, Albert Pujols was 2 for 3 with two RBIs, and Colby Rasmus and Gerald Laird each had three hits for the Cardinals, who got their first series win this season.

Every St. Louis starter except Matt Holliday had at least one hit.

The Cardinals, who scored 15 runs for the first time since an 18-3 victory against Atlanta on August 22, 2008, have won three of four.

Westbrook earned the win, allowing five runs — two earned — on nine hits in 5 2-3 innings with two walks and three strikeouts.

It was Kennedy's shortest outing as a starter in more than two years, allowing nine runs on seven hits with two walks and two hit batters.

The Cardinals struck early against Kennedy, scoring two in the first and six more in the second when his control largely disappeared.

Laird beat out a grounder deep in the hole at short and Kennedy hit Ryan Theriot with a pitch. Rasmus doubled down the right-field line, scoring both runners to make it 4-0.

Kennedy walked Pujols and hit Holliday to load the bases ahead of Berkman, who hit his fourth home run of the season into the left-field bleachers to put St. Louis ahead 8-0.

Westbrook added his first RBI of the season in the third, looping a double down the left-field line to score Laird after the catcher had doubled to right.

Schumaker stretched the lead to 12-0 with a three-run homer, his first, just over the fence into the pool area in right-center field.

Branyan hit a two-run, opposite-field home run in the fourth to cut the lead to 12-2, but Pujols hit a two-run single and David Freese added an RBI hit in the top of the fifth against Aaron Heilman.

NOTES: Kennedy lasted only two innings on August 8, 2008, in Anaheim while pitching for the New York Yankees. ... Both dugouts were warned after Kennedy hit Holliday on the hand with a high, inside fastball. ... Westbrook has three RBIs in 45 career at-bats. ... Laird was starting in place of Yadier Molina, who is hitting .152 (5 for 33) with three RBIs and only two extra-base hits. ... The Diamondbacks optioned Kam Mickolio to Triple-A Reno before the game and recalled RHP Esmerling Vasquez. Mickolio allowed three runs on four hits in 2-3 of an inning on Tuesday. ... Before the game, the Cardinals placed RHP Bryan Augenstein and LHP Brian Tallet on the 15-day disabled list. Both were injured in the Cardinals' 13-8 loss to Arizona on Tuesday. Augenstein strained his right groin and Tallet fractured a bone in his right hand when he got rangled up with Stephen Drew on a play at first. St. Louis recalled RHP Fernando Salas and RHP Eduardo Sanchez from Triple-A Memphis. Sanchez made his major-league debut when he came on to pitch the eighth.