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Diamondbacks-Athletics Preview

May 23, 2009 - 6:06 AM By NICOLINO DIBENEDETTO STATS Writer

Arizona (17-24) at Oakland (15-23), 9:05 p.m. EDT

Dan Haren developed into an All-Star with the Oakland Athletics. Now, with Brandon Webb sidelined, he's the Arizona Diamondbacks' best pitcher despite very limited support from his teammates.

After having his last outing nullified by rain, Haren will make his first start at Oakland when the Diamondbacks and A's play the middle game of their interleague series on Saturday night.

Haren (3-4, 2.09 ERA) went 43-34 with a 3.64 ERA in 102 starts with Oakland from 2005-07, leading the team in wins over that period and helping it to the AL championship series in 2006. He was dealt to Arizona (18-24) in an eight-player trade in December 2007, as the Diamondbacks were looking for another big arm to compete for a pennant after being swept by Colorado in the previous NLCS.

Haren responded by going 16-8 with a 3.33 ERA and 206 strikeouts, but Arizona failed to make the postseason.

He won his only start against the A's (15-24) at home on June 18, allowing one run and four hits with eight strikeouts in seven innings of an 11-1 victory.

"Danny was incredible when he was here and he's been really good for Arizona, but he's taken it up a notch this year," A's second baseman Mark Ellis told the Diamondbacks' official Web site. "He's pitching as well as anybody right now. It'll be good to see him again."

This season, Haren owns the fifth-best ERA in baseball and leads Arizona with 56 strikeouts. However, he's received only four total runs of support in his five starts that have resulted in losses for the club.

The two-time All-Star may have been headed to a similar fate Monday, when he allowed one run through three innings at Florida before heavy rain ended the contest with Arizona trailing 1-0.

Haren didn't get much help in his previous outing either, allowing three runs and six hits in seven innings while the offense produced six hits in a 3-1 loss to Cincinnati on May 12. All eight of his games this season have resulted in quality starts.

The Diamondbacks hope to capitalize on another start by Haren after beating Oakland 2-1 on Friday for their fifth win in six games.

Chris Young was moved from sixth to ninth in the order Friday and had two hits with a home run - his first since April 21 - after enduring an 0 for 18 slump over the last seven games.

"Honestly, it felt like my first homer in the big leagues, I'm not going to lie," said the center fielder, who has three homers this season after totaling 54 over the past two years. "I finally didn't pop it up. I finally got on top of it a little better."

The A's, losers of six of eight, hope Matt Holliday can continue his hot hitting after connecting for a solo homer Friday. The left fielder is 14 for 33 (.424) with two homers and seven RBIs in the last 10 games.

He's also 4 for 8 with two homers against Haren, and has a .351 batting average with five homers and 15 RBIs in his last 19 games against Arizona.

Oakland will give Edgar Gonzalez his first start of 2009 against his former club after purchasing his contract from Triple-A Sacramento on Tuesday.

The right-hander went 1-3 with a 6.00 ERA in 17 games - six starts - for Arizona last season before refusing a minor league assignment in the offseason to become a free agent. He signed a minor league deal with Oakland in February.

Gonzalez went 3-2 with a 5.22 ERA in seven starts for Sacramento.