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ARI@LAD: Kershaw hurls seven shutout innings in win

In full Cy Young mode after tossing seven scoreless innings in his last start, Dodgers left-hander Clayton Kershaw will try and keep it going on Saturday against the Cardinals at Dodger Stadium.

Kershaw outdueled D-backs ace Ian Kennedy on Monday for his third win of the season, surrendering only four hits and striking out six to improve to 3-1 on the season with a 2.22 ERA.

In eight career starts against the Cardinals, the lefty is 3-2 with a 3.28 ERA. In 2011 against St. Louis, he went 1-1 with a 4.22 ERA.

Winning Friday's series opener, 6-5, on a bases-loaded walk in the bottom of the ninth, the Dodgers will have their ace on the mound trying to increase their Major League-best 26-13 record, along with their MLB-best 17-4 home record.

Kershaw will face a Cardinals team dealing with some injuries, as St. Louis placed outfielder/first baseman Allen Craig (left hamstring strain) and right-hander Kyle McClellan (right elbow strain) on the 15-day disabled list Friday. St. Louis also placed outfielder Jon Jay (right shoulder sprain) on the DL earlier in the week.

However, the team did get outfielder Carlos Beltran back on Friday after he missed four straight games with right knee soreness. In Friday's contest, he went 2-for-4.

It's a far cry from the Cardinals' situation a week ago, when manager Mike Matheny was being asked how he'd find playing time for all his starting position players.

"These things kind of take care of themselves, not that that's how you want it to play out. That's how the game works. It's a tough time to lose Allen, as well as he was swinging the bat, just like it was tough to sit Carlos for a while," Matheny said. "It just gives these guys another opportunity. We've had some young guys step up and do a nice job."

Cardinals: Westbrook takes hill
• Right-hander Jake Westbrook will make his eighth start of the year on Saturday against the Dodgers and his first career appearance at Dodger Stadium.

Westbrook had his shortest outing of the year on Monday against the Cubs, tossing 107 pitches in five innings. With his sinker ineffective, he allowed a season-high 11 hits and four runs for the no-decision.

"They did a good job of extending innings, which I think was my downfall tonight as far as pitch count," Westbrook said after the start. "I was a little erratic with [the sinker] and just couldn't find the consistency with it."

Dodgers: Hairston could return next week
• Jerry Hairston, who strained his left hamstring running out an infield single on May 6, increased the intensity of his running on Friday after resuming all other phases of baseball activity earlier in the week. The last hurdle will be running the bases this weekend.

"Everything feels good," Hairston said. "I hope to be playing in games in a few days."

Manager Don Mattingly said if Hairston's progress continues, he will play one or two games in a Minor League rehab assignment next week while the Dodgers are in Arizona playing the D-backs.

Worth noting
• The Dodgers will hold their inaugural FanFest presented by State Farm on Saturday. Dodger Stadium auto gates open at 11:45 a.m. PT, and the event runs from noon to 7:10 p.m. Matt Kemp, Mattingly and nearly the entire team and coaching staff will make appearances, and broadcasters Vin Scully and Jaime Jarrin will participate, as will general manager Ned Colletti.

• Westbrook has two career appearances against the Dodgers, both in relief while with Cleveland during Interleague Play in 2003.

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