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Upton helps D-Backs pull even with Giants atop NL West

Aug 3, 2011 - 5:58 AM San Francisco, CA (Sports Network) - Justin Upton belted a two-run homer and made a nifty catch in right field, helping Arizona beat the Giants, 6-1, as the Diamondbacks drew even with the World Series champions atop the NL West.

Paul Goldschmidt hit the go-ahead two-run homer, the first of his major league career, as Arizona won its fourth in a row. They've captured eight of their last 10 games and moved into the lead in the division for the first time since June 24.

Daniel Hudson threw eight solid innings to snap a personal two-game skid. Hudson (11-7) allowed six hits, walked a batter and fanned five.

"It's a lot of fun but we all know we still got a long way to go," Hudson said. "Our ultimate goal is to get into October and you've got to come through San Francisco to get there."

The Giants held the advantage in the NL West each day since, but on Tuesday they suffered a fifth straight loss to match a season-high. They'll try to avoid a sweep in this three-game series Wednesday afternoon with the reliable Ryan Vogelsong (8-1) on the mound, while Jason Marquis gets his first start in an Arizona uniform after being traded from Washington over the weekend.

Tim Lincecum (9-9) fanned eight batters over seven innings, but couldn't get in the win column despite allowing just three hits.

"We're trying to play good ball. We know in the position that we're at that to maintain that lead in the West we've just got to manufacture runs and pitch better than we have been," Lincecum said. "Those are simple things and it's just a matter of playing ball like we did before so it's not a big adjustment for us, it's just playing baseball the right way."

Ryan Roberts singled to left to start the fifth, and Goldschmidt, who recorded his first big league hit in Monday's victory, followed with a homer to left field for a 2-1 contest.

"We know he's had power in the minor leagues and to come up there in this environment and do what he's been doing so far, it's been a huge lift for us," Diamondbacks manager Kirk Gibson said.

Upton, who extended his hitting streak to 14 games, made the play of the night on defense in the sixth inning. Jeff Keppinger drew a four-pitch walk with one down and Carlos Beltran followed by lofting a slicing fly ball to the right field corner. Upton, running at full speed, made a leaping grab, braced himself against the wall and the Diamondbacks doubled Keppinger off first base.

Kelly Johnson walked with two outs in the eighth, and Upton followed by belting his 22nd homer of the year, a shot to left field off Ramon Ramirez.

Roberts doubled in a run and scored on a Gerardo Parra single in the ninth inning.

Keppinger scored on Pablo Sandoval's double in the fourth inning, but Hudson escaped further damage by retiring Aubrey Huff on a grounder back to the mound and by fanning Nate Schierholtz, again with two men in scoring position.

"We had some good at-bats, we just have to have somebody come through to get a clutch hit here," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. "I thought the fourth inning was a big inning for us. It slipped away there."

Game Notes

Lincecum fell to 7-3 lifetime against the Diamondbacks...This is just the third San Francisco series loss to an NL West club (10-3-2) this season...Over their last nine games, the Giants have gone 7-for-52 with runners in scoring position. They are just 11-for-71 with RISP over their last 12 contests...Ramirez and Javier Lopez combined to allow four runs over two innings. Going into Tuesday's game, San Francisco's bullpen hadn't given up a run at home since the All-Star break...Lincecum has 1,067 strikeouts in a Giants uniform, moving him past Jason Schmidt (1,065) for third on San Francisco's all-time strikeouts list.