• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Velez propels Giants over Diamondbacks in ninth

Sep 11, 2008 - 3:05 AM By Ryan Leong PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

SAN FRANCISCO (Ticker) -- If the Arizona Diamondbacks don't make the playoffs, they only will have themselves to blame.

Rookie Eugenio Velez delivered the game-winning hit for the second straight game, hitting a two-run triple in the bottom of the ninth inning as the San Francisco Giants rallied to edge the Diamondbacks, 4-3, on Wednesday.

On Tuesday, Velez led San Francisco to a 5-4 victory with an RBI single off Juan Cruz with one out in the ninth.

"Same guy, same hero," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. "That would have been a tough game to lose. We had so many opportunities and we just couldn't cash in on them. These guys are fighting and that's a tough game to lose the lead in the ninth and they came right back and Velez came through again."

Bengie Molina smacked a one-out single and Aaron Rowand walked with two outs to set up Velez's winning hit off Brandon Lyon (2-5).

"Getting ahead of the count with curveballs, I felt I could go up (with the fastball). I just didn't get it up high enough and he put a good swing on it," Lyon said. "He put a good swing on it, found a hole, and that's what happened. I felt like I could have made a better pitch in that situation. I didn't do it and it costs us the game."

As the winning run scored, Velez exuberantly jumped up in the air and pumped his fist while his teammates swarmed him at third base.

"In that situation, I'm always looking for a fastball," Velez said. "I'm a fastball hitter, so I don't want to swing at something soft to hit a ground ball or something like that. I just wanted to tie the game and didn't want to do too much on that one.

"I'm just so happy. I've never seen that before, but right now, I can't explain it."

Arizona is on the verge of a collapse, having dropped 13 of its last 16 games. It has lost six in a row, going winless on its road trip.

"It was a horrible road trip," Diamondbacks center fielder Chris Young said. "No question about that, a terrible road trip, but we aren't going to give up. That's the last thing we want to do, is give up and stop pushing. No matter what people expect, we're going to still go out there and fight every day. That's all we can do."

"We can't win 10 in a row, we've just got to try to win one and hopefully get going," Arizona starter Dan Haren added. "Everyone in here realizes the situation we're in. We've dug ourselves quite a hole now, and we'll see if we can hopefully dig out of it."

In one week, the Diamondbacks (71-74), who are now a season-worst three games under .500, went from having a 1 1/2-game lead in the National League West to trailing the Los Angeles Dodgers (74-71) by three.

"It's the same as we were yesterday, we've just got to find a way to win some games, get one under our belt and hopefully roll off of that," Diamondbacks manager Bob Melvin said.

Young gave Arizona a 3-2 edge with a two-out, two-run triple in the top of the ninth off closer Brian Wilson. But Alex Hinshaw (2-1) got Adam Dunn to pop out to first to avoid further damage.

Wilson, who is second in the National League with 37 saves, blew his second consecutive opportunity. On Tuesday, he surrendered a two-run homer by Stephen Drew.

Haren's second-half struggles continued. Despite allowing just two runs, he labored through four innings, throwing 99 pitches.

Haren's day got off to a bad start as he grinded through the first inning, tossing 35 pitches while loading the bases on a pair of walks and an infield single. However, he was able to escape the jam unscathed by striking out Rowand, who was unable to stop on a check swing.

After Drew opened the scoring in the third with a solo homer, Velez laced a two-run double in the bottom half to give San Francisco a 2-1 advantage.

Brad Hennessey made the start for the Giants in place of Kevin Correia, who was bumped from the rotation by manager Bruce Bochy.

Hennessey has made 85 relief appearances since his last start on September 15, 2006. He yielded one run and four hits in six innings.

"It's been a while since I got to go out and start like that, but it was a great opportunity, and I just tried to maximize that opportunity," Hennessey said. "I just feel like starting is more suited to me. I feel like I do well with the rhythm of the game as a starter as opposed to coming out from the (bullpen), but I'm just trying to get outs in whatever I'm doing."