• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Haren lifts Diamondbacks past Astros

Apr 29, 2008 - 6:08 AM PHOENIX (Ticker) -- Dan Haren pitched into the eighth inning and added an RBI double to help the Arizona Diamondbacks to a 5-3 victory over the Houston Astros on Monday.

Haren (4-1) allowed three runs and five hits in 7 2/3 innings. He had five strikeouts and walked just one while throwing 103 pitches, including 71 for strikes.

"It wasn't necessary the best results I've had numbers wise, but definitely the best stuff I've had all year," Haren said. "Some great defense behind me, some great diving plays, we swung the bats, timely hitting, it was a nice game."

The righthander also helped at the plate, opening the scoring with an RBI double in the third inning to give the Diamondbacks a 1-0 lead.

"I'm just not trying to do too much, luckily they played me in," Haren said. "More often than not that's probably the right place to play me, got some good wood on it, it was nice getting the first run, and Reynolds hit the big double after that, it was nice."

Chad Qualls came on for Haren to get the final out in the eighth inning and Brandon Lyon struck out one in a perfect ninth to record his eighth save in 10 chances.

Chris Sampson (1-3) had a rough start for Houston, allowing five runs and seven hits in 4 1/3 innings.

"He was fine the first couple of innings, then he started to get it up in the zone," Houston manager Cecil Cooper said. "When Chris pitches up, good things are not going to happen for him when he pitches upstairs, I thought that's what he did there."

"I thought I went out and other than I made three bad pitches and they hit the ball three times hard, the other four hits that I gave up were just kind of dribblers through the infield," Sampson said. "I was getting ground balls and they were just finding holes, they are hot right now, they're a good team, a good hitting team, and when your hot your hot, a little bit of luck goes with it too."

Houston finally got to Haren in the fifth, scoring two runs to cut the deficit to 4-2. Arizona answered with a run in the bottom half of the frame.

Miguel Tejada capped the scoring with an RBI double in the eighth. Tejada's hit chased Haren, but Qualls and Lyon kept the Astros from getting any closer and preserved the win.

Houston has now lost three straight after a season-high six-game win streak.

Arizona has won two straight and four of its last five to improve to a major-league leading 19-7.

"We keep our nose to the grindstone and play every day, but you can't help but look at the start we've had," Arizona manager Bob Melvin said. "We look to win series, we expect to win, we just kind of keep it simple, day to day, at bat to at bat, try not to get too far out there are records and so forth, and so far thats been a good recipe for us."