perfect ninth inning for his own MLB debut. On August 26, Kennedy struck out a career-high 12 batters in an 11–5 victory over the San Diego Padres. He cited Arizona's early lead, in which they picked up nine runs in the first innings, with helping him relax enough to maintain his command. Kennedy finished his first full major league season with a 9–10 record and a 3.80 ERA in 32 starts, as well as 168 strikeouts in 194 innings. He also walked 70 batters and led MLB with 16 wild pitches. Arizona manager Kirk Gibson tapped Kennedy to serve as the Diamondbacks' opening day starter for the 2011 season, after he went 0–0 with a 7.88 ERA during spring training. Kennedy took two innings to settle into his rhythm, allowing three earned runs in six innings of the eventual 7–6 loss to the Colorado Rockies. After a brief trip to New York to be with his wife and their newborn child, Kennedy pitched his first major league complete game on April 25, outdueling ace Cliff Lee in a 4–0 shutout of the Philadelphia Phillies. He continued to perform well through the summer, building a seven-game winning streak as well as 22 straight starts in which he threw at least 100 pitches. Both of those streaks were broken on August 19, when Kennedy allowed three runs and five hits to the Phillies in three innings. With an eight-inning outing in the 1–0 defeat of the Pittsburgh Pirates on September 19, Kennedy became the first National League pitcher that season to reach 20 wins. Kennedy finished the season with 21 wins, tying Cy Young honoree Clayton Kershaw as the NL win leader. He also ranked among the leaders in the NL with 198 strikeouts, a 2.88 ERA, and 222 innings pitched. Additionally, at no point during the 2011 season did Kennedy lose two or more consecutive starts. Kennedy finished fourth in voting for the 2011 NL Cy Young Award, behind Kershaw, Roy Halladay, and Cliff Lee. The Diamondbacks' banner season echoed Kennedy's: after finishing last in the NL West during the 2010 season, Arizona clinched the NL West title with a 3–1 victory over the San Francisco Giants on September 23. Kennedy was called upon to start Game 1 of the 2011 National League Division Series against the Milwaukee Brewers, pitching opposite Yovani Gallardo. He was unable to carry his regular season