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Haren baffles Giants as Diamondbacks cruise to win

Jul 26, 2008 - 6:51 AM By Ryan Leong PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

SAN FRANCISCO (Ticker) -- While the Arizona Diamondbacks have been far from consistent , especially their offense, Dan Haren hasn't appeared to miss a beat in his return to the National League.

Haren pitched eight strong innings Friday, leading the Arizona Diamondbacks to a 10-2 rout of the San Francisco Giants.

Haren started his career with the St. Louis Cardinals and and moved to Oakland in a 2004 trade for Mark Mulder. The Diamondbacks acquired Haren in an eight-player offseason trade with the Athletics and he has been rock-solid in his first season back in the NL, not yielding more than two runs in any of his last eight outings.

"That's pretty much what we see every time from him," Arizona manager Bob Melvin said. "We've had some games we really thought would give us some momentum and games we thought would take the momentum away from us. We've got to follow it up tomorrow."

"I pride myself on being consistent and I've always prided myself on going out and giving the team a chance every time and that's really all I try to do," Haren said.

Haren (10-5), who leads the NL with a 2.56 ERA, allowed two runs and nine hits with nine strikeouts in winning for the fifth time in six decisions and surpassing the 10-win mark for the fourth consecutive season.

"Wins and losses, its hard to control those," Haren said. "I mean there's a few games I could have won or lost this year and I really try not to get caught up too much in wins and losses but its nice to (reach the double-digit mark). I'm more happy the team is winning and playing better."

The only inning in which Haren had any difficulty was the fifth when, with two outs, he hit pinch hitter Emmanuel Burriss with a pitch. Fred Lewis and Jose Castillo followed with back-to-back singles, giving the Giants their only run.

By that time, however, Arizona held a 6-1 advantage, making quick work of Jonathan Sanchez (8-6), who lasted a season-low 2 2/3 innings and went winless in the month of July going 0-2 with an 8.47 ERA.

The lefthander labored in the second, throwing 44 pitches as the Diamondbacks batted around during the five-run frame.

Conor Jackson opened the inning with a double and Chad Tracy walked two batters later. Arizona then took the lead on a single to left by Chris Snyder and, after the Giants failed to turn a 6-4-3 double play on a grounder by Chris Burke, Haren drew a walk to load the bases.

Stephen Drew and Chris Young followed with consecutive two-run doubles to stake the Diamondbacks to an early 5-0 lead.

Jackson added another insurance run in the third, when he crushed a changeup from Sanchez halfway up the bleachers in left field.

Although Sanchez followed with strikeouts of Mark Reynolds and Tracy, he was pulled after a walk to Snyder.

"I thought he had good stuff," San Francisco manager Bruce Bochy said. "He was pitching so well (but) he is going to have his off days. He's had some rest (during) the All-Star break. He has worked hard the last couple of games and logged some pitches but he feels fine."

Any hopes of a comeback by the Giants went up in smoke after Diamondbacks scored four more runs in the seventh, including three on a long homer to center by Reynolds.

For good measure, Tracy made it back-to-back blasts with a shot to right into the arcade promenade, giving Arizona a 10-1 cushion.

The outburst was Arizona's best in a month and perhaps symbolic of the Diamondbacks' offensive turnaround. They scored more than six runs in a game for the fifth time this month after doing so only twice in June.

"It's huge coming out, scoring runs and getting off to a good start," Reynolds said. "We haven't had that much trouble scoring them lately, but to come out and put up 10, its a good confidence boost for our offense and hopefully we just keep it going."