Dodgers’ Clayton Kershaw ends personal winning streak

Clayton Kershaw leaped a couple of feet into the air the instant the baseball he threw made contact with the bat in Cody Ransom’s hands.

Kershaw landed on the mound in a crouched position. He knew the ball would clear the left-field wall.

Ransom’s improbable two-run home run in the seventh inning sent the Dodgers to a 4-3 defeat against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Sunday and ended Kershaw’s personal winning streak at five starts.

The home run was the 10th of Ransom’s career. Ransom is 35 years old.

“Really, no one to blame but me for this one,” said Kershaw, who lost for the first time since July 2 in Anaheim against the Angels.

Kershaw started the game by walking Ryan Roberts on four pitches and falling behind, 3-0, to No. 2 hitter Kelly Johnson.

Johnson hit a two-run home run.

“I took too long to make an adjustment,” Kershaw said.

Kershaw settled down, holding the Diamondbacks scoreless from the second inning through the sixth.

“You have to,” he said, pointing out that National League wins co-leader Ian Kennedy was pitching for the Diamondbacks.

The Dodgers came back, as Andre Ethier doubled in Aaron Miles and Juan Rivera drove in Ethier in the sixth inning to put them ahead, 3-2.

Loney looks powerful

James Loney couldn’t help but stand and admire the ball he hit.

His fifth-inning solo home run was only his fifth home run and his first in almost six weeks. And he hit it a mile, sending it over the swimming pool behind the wall in right-center.

“I was shocked,” Loney said. “For me, it hasn’t happened this year.”

Loney, who has lost playing time recently to newcomer Juan Rivera, said he thinks he has figured out some timing mechanisms that he thought could bring back his power.

“You really have to know what it is,” said Loney, without offering specifics. “You have to know yourself. I lost that.

“I looked at some old video. If you have that feeling, you believe you’re going to be successful with that because you’ve been successful, consistent hitting the ball hard that way.”

Injury update

Dee Gordon was out of the lineup with a sore shoulder, but Mattingly said the rookie shortstop could be back Monday. Gordon, who was hurt in a rundown play Saturday night, hit off a tee and threw lightly.

Short hops

Eugenio Velez, who started at second base, went hitless in three at-bats to make him 0 for 19 for the season. … Arizona Sen. John McCain was part of the announced crowd of 25,575 fans. McCain stayed until the final out… Loney will host a bowling event Thursday to benefit the Dodgers Dream Foundation. Kershaw and Matt Kemp are expected to take part. Lanes are still available. For more information, visit dodgers.com/bowling or call 323-224-1413.

dylan.hernandez@latimes.com