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Davis outduels Zito, Diamondbacks edge Giants

Apr 28, 2007 - 7:09 AM PHOENIX (Ticker) -- The Arizona Diamondbacks looked to Doug Davis to stop the streaking San Francisco Giants.

Davis outdueled high-priced free agent Barry Zito and Stephen Drew belted a two-run double as the Diamondbacks beat the Giants, 3-2, snapping their eight-game winning streak.

Drew had two hits and Orlando Hudson and Conor Jackson each scored a run for Arizona, which has won three straight contests.

Davis, who allowed four runs - two earned - in six innings in a 4-2 loss to San Francisco last Friday, was much better this time.

"I thought I had better control of my fastball and when I did fall behind I had other pitches to go to," Davis said. "That team swings the bat a lot and makes contact, but I made my pitches when I had to. I think that was my best outing here."

Davis (2-2) pitched seven strong innings, yielding a run, seven hits and two walks. The 31-year-old lefthander struck out four to even his record at 2-2.

Brandon Lyon pitched the eighth inning before Jose Valverde came on in the ninth, surrendering two hits, including a leadoff pinch-hit homer by Mark Sweeney that cut the lead to 3-2.

Later in the frame with a man on second and two outs, the burly closer intentionally walked slugger Barry Bonds, before inducing Ray Durham to ground out for his ninth save in 10 chances.

It was the third intentional walk Bonds received in the game.

"The last one was probably the easiest of them," Diamondbacks manager Bob Melvin said. "Early in the game you don't want to put too many men on base, but I had a feeling that it was going to be a low scoring game with the way both guys were pitching. That's the one guy (Bonds) that is a bad match up for anybody and believe me Ray Durham scares the heck out of me, but we had to do it."

"That is the smart thing to do," Durham said. "The man has 700 home runs, you don't let him beat you. You keep on doing it until the guy behind him can show he can get the big hit and I didn't get it done tonight."

After the Giants tied the contest at 1-1, when Randy Winn hit a two-out 2-1 pitch off Davis over the wall in center field, the Diamondbacks regained the lead in the bottom of the frame.

Hudson led off with a double over the head of center fielder Dave Roberts. One out later, Jackson walked on four pitches and Drew then followed with a booming double off the left-center field wall, plating both runners to give Arizona a 3-1 lead.

"I just saw what he did to Conor (Jackson), he was kind of up and down everywhere," Drew said. "I went up there and didn't want to press too much and tried to get a good pitch to hit."

Davis got the better of Zito (2-3), who was the Giants big acquisition in the offseason. After signing a seven-year, $126 million contract, the 2003 Cy Young Award winner lost his first two games in 2007.

The 28-year-old had been brilliant in his last two starts, tossing 13 1/3 scoreless innings, notching two consecutive victories. Against Arizona, the eight-year veteran allowed three runs, six hits and three walks while striking out four in seven innings.

"My timing was pretty much out of whack," Zito said. "It was coming and going. In that two-run inning it was just a matter of me getting behind the guys in the pitch count. Right now things feel locked in. I just have to get my mechanics in sync for the next start."

Winn and Roberts each had three hits and Sweeney's blast was the 14th pinch-hit homer of his career.

The Giants left 12 runners on base and were 0-for-10 with runners in scoring position.

"It came down to we were just missing a hit," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. "We had our opportunities but we just left too many men on base. We just couldn't get a key hit with runners on."