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Owings shines in first career start

Apr 7, 2007 - 5:19 AM WASHINGTON (Ticker) -- With his family in attendance, Micah Owings made the most of his major league debut.

The 6-5 Owings allowed just one hit in five scoreless innings and Chris Young hit a three-run home run in the Arizona Diamondbacks' 7-1 thumping of the Washington Nationals.

In earning his first win, Owings (1-0) allowed just a third-inning single to Felipe Lopez and three walks. The Diamondbacks' fifth starter struck out six.

"I've been working a long time for this," Owings said. "It was great to get the support of the team. It was really special with my family here."

"He had the eye of the tiger tonight. He doesn't let a lot of outside things bother him," Diamondbacks manager Bob Melvin said.

Owings said the pressure of trying to earn a spot with the team prepared him for the start.

"To be honest I was more nervous in spring training," he said. "I was feeling really comfortable out there tonight."

Tony Pena pitched two scoreless innings in relief for Arizona and Juan Cruz finished off the contest.

Washington starter Jerome Williams (0-1) allowed five runs - four earned - and six hits with two walks while striking out four in six innings.

Williams kept Arizona scoreless until the fourth inning, when rookie Alberto Callaspo scored on Chad Tracy's two-out triple. One batter later, a throwing error by third baseman Ryan Zimmerman on a Conor Jackson's grounder allowed Tracy to score.

Callaspo had three hits, including two doubles.

Young's three-run homer over the left field fence off Jerome Williams with two outs in the top of the sixth inning gave the Diamondbacks a 5-0 lead. Young finished with four RBI.

"I had popped up earlier and made an adjustment," Young said. "It paid off for me."

Ryan Church hit his second home run of the season in the bottom of the ninth for the Nationals only run.

"The team is trying to do too much instead of just letting things happen," Nationals manager Manny Acta said.