• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Phelps' eighth-inning RBI single snaps Bucs' nine-game skid

Sep 26, 2007 - 3:15 AM By Chris Adamski SportsTicker Contributing Writer

PITTSBURGH (Ticker) - The Arizona Diamondbacks' grip on a National League playoff spot just became a tad less secure.

Josh Phelps' two-out single in the bottom of the eighth inning scored Adam LaRoche as the Pittsburgh Pirates overcame a four-run rally by the Diamondbacks in securing a 6-5 victory Monday.

Arizona (88-69), which had won four of its past five and 12 of 17 coming in, still holds a 2 1/2-game lead over San Diego in the NL West with five games to play. The Padres played the Giants later Tuesday evening.

"We battled back beautifully," Diamondbacks manager Bob Melvin said. "It's a shame. I really felt like we were in a good position to win that game, and then they got a big hit."

Trailing, 5-1, heading into the eighth, the Diamondbacks made a game of it with four runs. Chris Snyder doubled in the first run, Conor Jackson singled in three runs and Stephen Drew capped the rally with a flare RBI single to left off of John Grabow.

"I think our guys are convinced that for 27 outs that if the game remains close - and four runs is still close - that we can put together some good at bats and give ourselves a chance of getting back into the ballgame," said Tony Clark, who had two hits and scored two runs. "We were able to do that tonight. We put ourselves in a position where a key hit late was going to give us a chance to win."

In the ninth, LaRoche roped a one-out double off of Brandon Lyon (6-4) and Phelps' plated him with a sharp ground single to left.

"It felt like somebody punched us in the stomach, the inning they had there in the seventh," Phelps said. "It feels good to get a win."

Salomon Torres (2-4) came into get the final out of the eighth the fourth Pittsburgh pitcher of the inning - to record the victory. Matt Capps earned his 18th save by pitching the ninth.

Ian Snell pitched six strong innings and Nyjer Morgan hit his first major league homer for the Pirates, who broke a nine-game losing streak.

Snell, who has given up only six earned runs in five starts this month after going 1-6 from the All-Star break through August, allowed only one run on seven hits and four walks in six innings, striking out six.

"It feels good," Snell said. "And the reason why is there were a bunch of people putting me down saying, "Snell's starting to suck' and this and that. You have to prove to everybody you still belong here."

Morgan led off the bottom of the first with a line-drive homer into the elevated right field seats. Pittsburgh added on another run when Xavier Nady grounded into a double play and Jose Bautista scored on the play.

Arizona got one of those runs back the following half-inning when Augie Ojeda's two-out single drove in Clark.

Diamondbacks starter Doug Davis allowed only two runs on five hits and no walks in five innings - striking out two - but he was pulled in favor of a pinch hitter when his spot came up with runners at first and third and two outs in the top of the sixth. He hasn't earned a victory since a stretch of six wins in seven starts ended September 4.

"He gives up a leadoff homer and a couple hard-hit balls after that," Melvin said. "But after that, he was good. He settled in nicely. I just had to try to score a run there with first and third; that's the only reason he's out of the game. It was not anything he did, obviously, pitching-wise."

The Pirates initially appeared to put the game away when they added three runs in the seventh. Cesar Izturis doubled in Ronny Paulino and pinch hitter Nate McLouth drove in Steve Pearce and Izturis.

"This is a tough loss, but at the same time, you look at it, going into eighth, did you guys think we had a chance?" Byrnes said. "Not really.

"We battled back tonight. We just couldn't finish it."