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Hudson's double helps Diamondbacks sweep Giants

Apr 30, 2007 - 2:09 AM PHOENIX (Ticker) -- Orlando Hudson's well-placed grounder helped the Arizona Diamondbacks turn the tables on the San Francisco Giants.

Hudson slapped a pitch the opposite way down the third base line for a two-run double that snapped a tie, giving the Diamondbacks a 5-4 victory Sunday and a three-game sweep of the Giants.

Arizona returned the favor after San Francisco swept the Diamondbacks last weekend in the teams' first series of the year. Overall, it was just Arizona's third series win over San Francisco - the other two were in 1999 and 2001.

"We have become accustomed to playing those one-run games but it was a great series for us," Diamondbacks manager Bob Melvin said. "They did it to us over there and to come back and beat them in three close games and the way we won, now we expect to be in the close ones."

Ray Durham drove in two runs, including one with a game-tying homer for the Giants, who have lost three straight games after winning a season-high eight in a row.

"We had a tough time all series," San Francisco manager Bruce Bochy said.

Brandon Medders (1-0) pitched a scoreless seventh for Arizona, which has won five in a row after dropping a season-high five straight.

"All we know is we have to keep playing baseball the way we have been," Hudson said. "We have to keep doing the little things and we are coming back with some late come-from-behind wins against some good pitchers."

Randy Johnson (0-1) was significantly better in his second start after back surgery last fall. He threw 69 of 98 pitches for strikes and allowed three runs and seven hits in six innings with five strikeouts and only one walk.

"It was better. The more I throw the better I am going to start feeling and go deeper in the games," Johnson said. "I had better command of more pitches today. Everybody else is light years ahead of me. I have thrown only 12 innings against major league hitters. I am 43 coming off of back surgery. I might be 100 percent by the All-Star break.

"Overall I was pleased. My command was much better and I think that is more indicative of how I will pitch."

In his first start Tuesday vs. San Diego, Johnson was touched for six runs and six hits in five innings. He walked four and struck out seven in a 10-5 loss.

That was Johnson's first start in Arizona since he was traded to New York Yankees in 2005. He went 103-49 five seasons with the Diamondbacks and helped them win a World Series in 2001 before the trade, spending two tumultuous seasons with the Yankees before being traded back to the Diamondbacks this offseason.

The five-time Cy Young Award winner had the luxury of facing a lineup minus Barry Bonds, who hit his 742nd homer Saturday but, as he normally does, sat out a day game after a night game.

With Bonds out of the lineup, Durham supplied the power, blasting a leadoff homer into the left field upper deck in the sixth. He fouled off three straight pitches before finally getting a hanging slider that he crushed.

Johnson rebounded nicely, retiring the next three batters.

The Diamondbacks answered by scoring two runs off Matt Morris (3-1) in the seventh. Morris allowed five runs and 12 hits in seven innings.

Morris got Robby Hammock to ground out to start the inning, then allowed three straight singles. That led to Hudson's two-run double on a 1-1 pitch that scored Miguel Montero and Chris Young for a 5-3 lead. Hudson went had two hits and three RBI.

"Sloppy pitching," Morris said. "Obviously not the pitch I wanted (to Hudson). Anytime they get a hit on a cue shot or a homer it is not a good pitch. It ended up costing me the game."

Durham cut the deficit to 5-4 with an RBI single to center in the eighth that scored Omar Vizquel.

Bonds made an appearance as a pinch hitter with one out in the ninth. Brandon Lyon wanted no part of him, throwing four straight balls. Lyon was closing because Jose Valverde pitched the last two games.

The plan almost backfired as Ryan Klesko and Randy Winn followed with singles to load the bases before Lyon got out of it by getting Vizquel to pop out to second and Rich Aurilia to pop out to third.