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Hudson's home run leads Diamondbacks past Orioles

Jun 16, 2007 - 4:40 AM BALTIMORE (Ticker) -- The Arizona Diamondbacks' offense awoke on Friday.

Orlando Hudson's pinch-hit three-run home run in the eighth inning lifted the Diamondbacks past the Baltimore Orioles, 7-3, in interleague action.

Chris Snyder also homered for Arizona in the eighth inning, where the Diamondbacks scored five times to erase a 3-0 deficit. Arizona came into the game batting just .206 (76-for-369) in their last 11 games.

"That three-run home run is not a part of me, but it happened," Hudson said. "Their bullpen throws some flame. They've got some great arms out there. The baseball gods smiled on me."

Baltimore starter Erik Bedard held the Diamondbacks scoreless through seven innings, allowing four hits a no walks. After Snyder opened the eighth with a home run and Augie Ojeda singled, Bedard was replaced by Chad Bradford.

Eric Byrnes singled off Bradford, who was promptly replaced by Jamie Walker. After Ojeda and Byrnes moved up a base on Stephen Drew's groundout, Orioles' manager Sam Perlozzo went to the bullpen again, bringing in Todd Williams (0-2).

A groundout by Conor Jackson scored Ojeda and moved Byrnes to second base, setting the stage for Hudson, who hit a 1-1 pitch over the wall in right for his seventh home run of the season.

Hudson didn't start the game due to a jammed ankle and Arizona manager Bob Melvin intended to give him the night off.

"I didn't want to play him, but it ended up being a good spot," Melvin said. "He came up huge for us. He took the lineup card out for us today. He considers himself the winning manager as well as the winning pinch-hitter."

Ojeda hit a two-run homer in the ninth - his first of the season - to pad the lead for the Diamondbacks, who ended a three-game skid.

"I'm just trying to put the ball in play. I thought it was a sac-fly. I was trying to finish my swing, but it got stuck there," said Ojeda, who was originally signed by Baltimore, but never played in the majors with the team.

Doug Slaten (3-0) pitched a scoreless seventh inning to earn the win out of the Diamondbacks' bullpen. Starter Micah Owings allowed three runs, six hits and one walk in six innings.

Bedard, who has one win in his last 11 starts, allowed two runs runs, six hits and no walks while striking out nine in seven-plus innings. The lefthander left the clubhouse before reporters were allowed in.

Williams said the Orioles, who have lost a season-high six straight and 11 of 13, can't dwell on the defeat.

"You've got to forget about it, come back," he said. "Tomorrow's a new day. Obviously when things keep happening, it's kind of tough to do our job."

Aubrey Huff finished with three hits and an RBI for the Orioles. He has a 10-game hitting streak and is batting .474 (18-for-38) during that span.

Perlozzo acknowledged that changes may be neccessary to get the team going.

"We're going to need to do something," he said. "We can't keep going like this."