Thu May 15 01:34:00 2008

Comment | Email | Print

Owings sharp as Diamondbacks hold off Rockies

---

Phoenix, AZ (Sports Network) - Micah Owings tossed six scoreless innings, and Orlando Hudson went 2-for-4 with two runs batted in to lift the Arizona Diamondbacks to a 4-3 victory over the Colorado Rockies.

Owings (5-1) gave up only five hits and two walks while striking out five for the Diamondbacks, who have won the first two contests of this three-game set after being swept in a three-game series at Chicago.

Stephen Drew had a pair of hits and scored a run, while Conor Jackson went 1- for-3 with a walk and RBI.

Jorge De La Rosa (1-2) lasted only 4 2/3 innings after surrendering four runs on seven hits and three walks. He struck out six in the losing effort, the Rockies' fourth straight loss.

Todd Helton was 3-for-4 while Ryan Spilborghs had two hits and an RBI for the Rockies.

Colorado got two runs in the eighth to get within one. Helton singled to start the inning off Arizona reliever Doug Slaten. Arizona then brought in Tony Pena, who retired Garrett Atkins but gave up a Brad Hawpe single to center. Chris Iannetta flied out before pinch-hitter Jeff Baker was plunked by a pitch to load the bases with two out.

Pinch-hitter Scott Podsednik flared a single to left to plate two and make it a 4-3 game. But Pena got Spilborghs swinging to end the threat.

Brandon Lyon entered in the ninth and got a diving stop from Hudson at second to rob Omar Quintanilla of a base hit then retired Matt Holliday on a groundout. Helton and Atkins followed with singles but Lyon got Hawpe to pop out with the tying run at third to preserve the win and record his 11th save of the season.

Arizona got things started in the fourth with back-to-back singles from Drew and Hudson. A wild pitch moved Drew to third before Jackson singled to right to score a run, and both runners advanced to second and third on an error by Hawpe. Justin Upton got the intentional free pass to load the bases with no outs and Eric Byrnes grounded into a double play as Hudson came home. Mark Reynolds struck out to end the inning.

The D'Backs put up two more in the fifth. Chris Snyder singled to start the inning and Chris Young lined a one-out double to center. Hudson then doubled to center to clear the bases and push Arizona's lead to 4-0.

Colorado got on the board in the seventh with a Spilborghs RBI single.

Game Notes

Arizona improved to 7-1 vs. Colorado in 2008 and improved to 19-5 vs. the NL West...Atkins singled in the sixth, extending his hitting streak to 12 games...Byrnes is now 6-for-62 in his last 15 games; he grounded into bases- loaded double play with no outs in the fourth and grounded out with the bases loaded in the fifth, leaving five runners on base.