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Giants end Diamondbacks' win streak at six

Sep 12, 2007 - 6:36 AM By Ryan Leong PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

SAN FRANCISCO (Ticker) - A rookie mistake by right fielder Justin Upton ended the Arizona Diamondbacks' six game winning streak.

Pedro Feliz's sacrifice fly in the bottom of the eighth was the difference as the San Francisco Giants beat the Diamondbacks, 2-1, on Tuesday night.

Daniel Ortmeier had a base hit to right field off Bob Wickman (3-4) that was misplayed by Upton and rolled all the way to the Bermuda Triangle at the 421 mark in right center. Ortmeier hustled as soon as the ball got by Upton and center fielder Chris Young and ended up at third base with a triple.

"I didn't think it was going to get through either," Ortmeier said. "I was thinking out of the box getting to second if at all possible, maybe trying to stretch it into a double. I didn't think it was going to get through. I really didn't know what happened, I just saw it get by him and kept going.

"We're all playing to win and contribute whatever way we can and just to be able to come out and win a game like we did tonight is awesome."

"I was going after it, trying to go after it because if I let it go any deeper it would have been a double," Upton said. "I tried to cut it off and the ball skipped like the ground was wet. You saw it with your own eyes its pretty deep out there. Luckily Cy had my back.

That's just the way we play, we play aggressive and we back each other up. The ball just got deep."

Feliz hit the first pitch to medium deep left field, far enough for Ortmeier to tag up and score the winning run.

"I thought it was a two-seamer in on his hands and its kind of where I wanted it and he did a pretty good job of hitting it," Wickman said. "I had faced him a couple of times this year and everything's been away, away, away. I didn't expect him to get that good of wood on it."

Tyler Walker (2-0) recorded the final two outs of the eighth to pick up the win.

Rookie Brian Wilson who recently has been the set-up man, pitched the ninth for his third save of the season.

"I think it's more or less we don't really have that many roles," Wilson said. "You just go out and if they call your name you pitch. I don't think too many of the younger guys really want to get too adjusted, but just basically go out, pitch your job and hopefully be a part of good things, that's basically what we hope for."

Eric Byrnes had three hits for the Diamondbacks, who got a solid outing from Edgar Gonzalez.

Gonzalez, who has split time between starting and relieving, made his first start since June 26 against the Los Angeles Dodgers. He pitched six innings, allowing just a run on three hits.

"I was feeling so good, everything was whatever I wanted to throw," Gonzalez said. "I was more focused before the game. I was going pitch by pitch and things were working good. I just to tried to help the team win but that's baseball."

In the top of the fourth, Young belted his 30th home run, to extend his franchise single season rookie record. He crushed a fastball off of Kevin Correia to the bleachers in left field. Young has hit safely in six of his last seven games.

"That's big, he's having a (heck of) a year for a kid who's a rookie," Diamondbacks manager Bob Melvin said.

"Chris Young hit his 30th home run of the year and we're proud of him to see his progression throughout the year," Byrnes said of his teammate.

The Giants answered back in the bottom half of the frame. Rajai Davis reached base legging out an infield single to short.

Rookie Nate Schierholtz doubled to the gap in left center scoring the fleet footed Davis.

Correia, made his fifth start of 2007 and allowed one run on six hits in 5 1/3 innings while walking three and striking out five.

With the loss, the San Diego Padres win over the Los Angeles Dodgers decreased Arizona's lead in the National League West to 2 1/2 games.

"We really don't focus a whole lot on that," Melvin said. "We've just got to try to take care of ourselves each and everyday and we've had a six game run so you're going to lose some games every now and then and we just lost a tough one tonight."

"That's the way it goes. We had a couple of opportunities that we obviously squandered but the Giants are playing hard," Byrnes said. "There's not a team that's going to lay down for us. The bottom line is we didn't expect to win every game for the rest of the year but I think our goal has been to take series. If we come back out here tomorrow and win that, things will be fine."