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Owings pitches shutout as D-Backs stop Giants

Sep 19, 2007 - 4:14 AM By Bob Huhn PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

PHOENIX (Ticker) -- The Arizona Diamondbacks turned to rookie Micah Owings to help them maintain sole possession of first place in the National League West. The 24-year old more than answered the call.

Owings threw a two-hitter for his first career shutout to lead the Diamondbacks to a 5-0 victory over the San Francisco Giants on Tuesday.

The win moved Arizona (85-67) 1 1/2 games ahead of the San Diego Padres (82-67) in the division. The Padres play the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Owings, (7-8) whose last turn in the rotation was skipped after going 1-7 in his previous 14 starts, won for the first time since August 18. In his last two starts he did not get past the third inning.

The rookie retired the last 13 batters he faced and 15 of 16 in his second career complete game. He struck out four and walked only the first batter of the game.

Arizona wasted no time getting the all the runs Owings needed by scoring four in the first inning off Giants starter Jonathan Sanchez. Chris Young drove home the first run with a sacrifice fly before Chris Snyder delivered a two-run broken-bast base hit. Augie Ojeda capped the inning with an RBI single to left.

Giants manager Bruce Bochy lifted Sanchez (1-5) after the first inning. The 24-year old lefthander, who has not won a start since September 6, 2006, was charged with four runs and five hits and walked two batters.

Arizona extended its lead to 5-0 in the sixth, when Reynolds blasted a 452-foot homer off of Dan Giese into the upper deck in right field.

Young went 2-for-2 for the Diamondbacks, who had lost four of their last six games,

Pedro Feliz doubled in the fifth inning and was the only player to reach second base for the Giants, who now have dropped five of their last six games.