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Byrnes, Owings help Diamondbacks rally past Astros

May 1, 2008 - 12:38 AM PHOENIX (Ticker) -- Eric Byrnes and Micah Owings helped the Arizona Diamondbacks rally to take another series.

Byrnes hit an RBI single in the sixth inning as the Diamondbacks posted an 8-7 come-from-behind victory over the Houston Astros on Wednesday.

Owings stepped to the plate as a pinch hitter in the sixth and blasted a game-tying two-run homer. After Chris Young doubled, Byrnes singled up the middle to provide the final margin.

Conor Jackson also went deep for Arizona (20-8), which became the first team in the majors to reach 20 wins this season.

"That was one of the more impressive things I have seen," Jackson said. "I am sure that there will be some more impressive things that we do this year but, at this point, to pull out a 'W' like that, after trailing by four twice in the game, says a lot about this team."

The Diamondbacks took the rubber match of the three-game set and avoided their first losing series since the season-opening set against Cincinnati.

The Diamondbacks, who trailed 4-0 in the first and 6-2 after two innings, rallied for the lead off Houston reliever Dave Borkowski (0-2).

"We have shown quite a few times that (being down by a large margin) in the first inning doesn't usually get us down," Diamondbacks manager Bob Melvin said. "You respond right away and get a couple of runs it swings the momentum right back into your dugout even though you are behind. Even if you get one, you feel that you are back in the game."

In the bottom of the sixth with a runner on second and two outs, Owings - who is 4-0 with a 3.48 ERA in five starts this season - drilled a two-run shot over the right field wall to knot the score at 7-7.

"I've been blessed to be able to swing, so any time I get into the box, I do my best to help the team," Owings said. "I was told to look for a fastball out over the plate. It ended up being a slider that backed up and I put a good swing on it. I knew I hit it on a pretty good line, I wasn't sure."

It was Owing's first homer of the season and fifth in his two-year career.

Melvin had no problems using Owings in that situation after watching him perform before.

"You have your bench then you have an extra guy (Owings) to pinch hit," Melvin said. "He's a guy you don't mind running up against righties or lefties. It seems like the more at-bats he gets, the more comfortable he is at the plate."

However, Astros manager Cecil Cooper was steaming mad at what happened in the fateful sixth.

"All he (Borkowski) has to do is ... he has one righthanded hitter and happens to be a pitcher, and we can't make a pitch to get him out," Cooper fumed. "That is unacceptable, and I won't stand for it no more.

"We added a big run in the seventh to go up 7-5, and that should be enough for us to get through and win the ballgame. It is totally unacceptable and as I said it won't happen again."

Byrnes followed two batters later with his hit to center field, snapping his 0-for-11 slump.

Diamondbacks reliever Brandon Medders (1-0) earned his first win of the year by hurling two innings.

Chad Qualls pitched the seventh, Tony Pena logged the eighth and Brandon Lyon worked around two base runners in the ninth to earn his ninth save.

Carlos Lee hit a three-run homer in a four-run first and Lance Berkman drove in two runs for the Astros.

Randy Johnson started for Arizona, allowing six runs and nine hits while striking out two in four innings.

"You feel that if you can score six off of Randy Johnson, seven total, you should win the ballgame and, most of the time, we will," Astros catcher Brad Ausmus said. "There is going to be those handful times when a team mounts a comeback and today was one of those times."

Houston starter Shawn Chacon gave up five runs, seven hits and a walk while striking out a season-high seven batters in five frames.