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D-Backs Crush Giants

POSTED: 11:11 pm PDT July 25, 2008

(Sports Network) - Dan Haren was strong over eight innings, and got plenty of offensive support as the Arizona Diamondbacks thrashed the San Francisco Giants, 10-2, in the opener of a three-game series at AT&T Park.

Haren (10-5) allowed two runs on nine hits, striking out nine without allowing a walk for the D-Backs, winners in three of their last four games. The right- hander also helped himself at the plate with a double and a run scored.

"I pride myself on being consistent and I've always prided myself on going out and giving the team a chance every time," Haren said. "That's really all I try to do, and wins and losses, its hard to control those. 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 win double digits."

Mark Reynolds went 2-for-5 with a three-run homer, while Conor Jackson and Chad Tracy also homered for Arizona. Stephen Drew and Chris Young each drove in a pair of runs, and eight of the D-Backs' 11 hits went for extra bases.

"We did it last year after the All-Star break," Reynolds said. We had a good run and that got us to the playoffs and this year we need to do the same thing and playing .500 ball probably won't get us there."

Jonathan Sanchez (8-6) was ripped for six runs on five hits in 2 2/3 innings and took the loss for the Giants, who had a three-game win streak snapped. Geno Espineli allowed four runs in 1 1/3 innings of relief.

Jose Castillo and Fred Lewis each had two hits and knocked in a run, but the Giants went just 2-for-8 with runners in scoring position.

Arizona blew the game wide open early, scoring five runs in the second and never looking back. Jackson led off with a double, and with runners at the corners and one out, Chris Snyder singled in the game's first run. Chris Burke reached on a fielder's choice and stole second, then Haren walked to load the bases before Drew and Young connected on consecutive two-run doubles for a 5-0 lead.

Jackson's leadoff homer extended the lead to 6-0 in the third, and after a two-out walk to Snyder, Sanchez was lifted in favor of Osiris Matos, who escaped the inning.

A two-out rally in the fifth finally got the Giants on the board, as pinch- hitter Emmanuel Burriss was hit by a pitch, Lewis singled him to third and Castillo singled to bring in the run.

However, the D-Backs used the long ball to pull away with four more runs in the seventh against Espineli. After singles by Young and Orlando Hudson, Reynolds drilled a long homer just to the left of straightaway center. Tracy followed with a blast over the wall in right to give Arizona a 10-1 lead.

"It was a ballgame there and then they get the three run homer, and that put the game away," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. "But, you never know and I thought we had some pretty good at-bats there, and we created a couple of pretty good opportunities. But, we just let the game get out of hand."

Lewis' RBI single in the home half pulled the Giants within 10-2, but Haren and Billy Buckner kept San Francisco from closing the gap further.

Game Notes

Haren lowered his earned run average to 2.56, tops among National League starters...Reynolds and Tracy connected on Arizona's first set of back-to-back homers since Reynolds and Justin Upton pulled off the feat May 31 against Washington...The D-Backs finished 5-for-13 with runners in scoring position and left just five men on base...Saturday's middle game of the series features two of the top pitchers in the NL, as Arizona's Brandon Webb (13-4) takes on San Francisco's Tim Lincecum (11-3).

San Francisco Giants

Scoreboard

Sun, Oct. 4 FINAL
San Francisco (86-74) 4
San Diego (75-86) 3

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