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Snyder helps Diamondbacks maintain NL West lead

Sep 20, 2007 - 6:13 AM By Bob Huhn PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

PHOENIX (Ticker) -- Chris Snyder had three hits and three RBI and Conor Jackson added a solo homer as the Arizona Diamondbacks defeated the San Francisco Giants, 6-4, to take the rubber match of the three-game series Wednesday.

Rookie Mark Reynolds also had two hits and knocked in two runs for Arizona (86-67), which maintained its one-game advantage in the National League West Division over San Diego (84-67). The Padres defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday.

Snyder hit a two-run double to left field in the fifth inning to give the Diamondbacks a 5-4 lead.

The first three batters of the inning all reached. After Jackson led off the frame with a walk, Reynolds smacked a base hit into left-center field and rookie Chris Young reached on an infield single, setting the stage for Snyder to end Giants starter Barry Zito's night.

Snyder, who is in the midst of a seven-game hitting streak, is 5-for-7 lifetime against Zito (9-13).

"They put a couple across and we would answer right back. That was the case the whole game," Snyder said. "When you get a couple of knocks off a guy, you feel comfortable stepping in the box against him. The more times you face a guy, you know what he is going to do in certain situations."

Juan Cruz (6-1) struck out the only batter he faced in the fifth inning to pick up the win. Bob Wickman, Tony Pena and Brandon Lyon each hurled a scoreless inning before Jose Valverde worked around two hits in the ninth to register his major league-leading 46th save.

"The bullpen came up big," Diamondbacks manager Bob Melvin said. "Cruz got out of a big inning, everybody. The bullpen picked us up and the offense kept battling. Guys are really showing up and grinding the whole game."

"I think they have been the surprise bullpen in the major leagues," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. "We got them the first game, but they have been consistent, which is a huge reason they're where they are at."

Trailing, 2-1, the Diamondbacks took advantage of Zito's inability to find the plate in the third inning.

Eric Byrnes led off the frame with a single to center and rookie Justin Upton followed with a double to left. Reynolds knocked in the first run of the inning with an infield single.

Zito walked Young to load the bases, then followed with another walk to Snyder to plate Upton and give Arizona a 3-2 edge.

San Francisco regained the lead in the fifth on an RBI double to left by Kevin Frandsen and a run-scoring single by Randy Winn, who belted a two-run homer in the first inning.

For the third straight outing, Arizona starter Doug Davis failed to make it past the fifth inning, allowing four runs and nine hits with a walk and six strikeouts in just 4 2/3 frames.

"It was a poor outing," Davis said. "I was effectively wild in the first inning and when I missed my spot, they crushed it. The common theme in the past few games is, I have not been hitting my spots and been falling behind guys."

Zito, who has not won since August 17, entered the contest with a 2-2 record and 1.55 ERA in four career starts against the Diamondbacks. He lasted just four-plus innings, allowing five runs, nine hits and four walks.

"I didn't have much out there tonight," Zito said. "Instead of being loose out there, I was trying to be too fine."

The Diamondbacks picked up an insurance run in the seventh, when Reynolds doubled in Upton to extend the advantage to 6-4.

The Giants, who have lost seven of their last nine games, still were without Barry Bonds. The home run king missed his third straight game with a sprained big toe on his right foot.