ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS

Kennedy, Kershaw swap brush-back pitches

May 15, 2012, 3:36 AM | Updated: 4:49 am

The rivalry between Los Angeles Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw and the Arizona Diamondbacks resurfaced Monday night.

But this time it was D-backs starter Ian Kennedy who drew first blood.

The two hurlers swapped brush-back pitches in their first matchup of the 2012 season, which brought back memories of Kershaw and Gerardo Parra’s heated exchange last year.

In the third inning of Monday night’s 3-1 loss to the Dodgers, Kennedy threw a 2-1 pitch behind Kershaw before ultimately walking him. Kershaw sent a message of his own to the D-backs hurler in the fifth on a first-pitch fastball inside before also surrendering a free pass.

Umpire Marvin Hudson warned Kershaw and both teams following the incident but no other hijinks ensued.

The reigning NL Cy Young winner was ejected for hitting Parra on the right elbow on Sept. 14 and it seems the D-backs have not forgotten.

The sputtering Diamondbacks couldn’t muster any offense off the masterful Kershaw and dropped the first game of their road trip, falling to 3-10 for the month of May.

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