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Byrnes, Diamondbacks rally for fourth straight win

May 17, 2008 - 6:21 AM PHOENIX (Ticker) -- Eric Byrnes pick a good spot to break out of his slump.

After being benched for the team's previous game, Byrnes provided the spark Friday as the Arizona Diamondbacks overcame a three-run deficit to post their fourth consecutive victory, a 4-3 interleague triumph over the Detroit Tigers.

Byrnes, who had just six hits in his previous 62 at-bats entering this contest, started the comeback with a solo home run in the fifth inning. He then ignited a three-run rally in the seventh with an RBI single.

"It is nice to contribute but we have been winning games, so it made it a whole lot easier going through a prolonged slump like that," Byrnes said. "I never lost faith in myself, and I have a manager who believes in me and teammates who have been really supportive but it has been a rough few weeks. I am not going to lie about that."

Chris Young followed with a run-scoring base hit to tie the game at 3-3 and Augie Ojeda scored the go-ahead run on Tigers third baseman Carlos Guillen's throwing error.

Miguel Cabrera hit a two-run homer for Detroit, which has lost four consecutive games overall and seven straight on the road.

Dan Haren (5-2) benefited from the offensive explosion in the seventh, picking up the win. He gave up three runs and six hits with no walks and four strikeouts over seven frames.

"I dug a little hole but I think I did a pretty good job of keeping us there," Haren said. "Down three-nothing, any more runs I give up then we are in trouble. But I was able to keep us there then we were able to chip away."

Juan Cruz struck out the side in the eighth before Tony Pena pitched a perfect ninth for his first save of the season and fourth career.

"It is a little different feel this year because we haven't played the volume of close games like we did last year. Last year every game was like this," Diamondbacks manager Bob Melvin said. "To be able to come back in the fashion we did, put a three spot up in the seventh inning, and then put it away with out having our main guys down there in the bullpen. Not only can we play in close games but we can come back in close games."

Jeremy Bonderman looked to be on his way to his third win of the campaign before the decisive seventh, when he relinquished back-to-back walks to Justin Upton and Chris Snyder to lead off the inning.

"I threw the ball really well but in the sixth inning I got a little tired, walked a couple of guys, but other than that I thought I threw the ball well," Bonderman said. "Haren threw the ball well. It was a good matchup. Those games are fun to be in, but I am not upset with the way I pitched."

After Zach Miner relieved Bonderman, Byrnes smacked a base hit back up the middle to cut the deficit to 3-2. Miner looked like he might escape the jam after getting Ojeda to bunt into a fielder's choice and striking out Miguel Montero, but Young delivered a two-out single to right to score Byrnes and even the contest.

Stephen Drew then hit a grounder to third base off Bobby Seay. Guillen skipped his throw off the dirt and first baseman Cabrera could not handle the errant toss, allowing Ojeda to score.

Curtis Granderson's sacrifice fly opened the scoring in the third and Cabrera blasted his seventh home run of season in the fourth to extend the Tigers' advantage to 3-0.

"The fact of the matter is we should have won a low-scoring game," Tigers manager Jim Leyland said. "There is no question about that but we also got only six hits tonight and Magglio (Ordonez) had three of them."