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PHOENIX (AP) -
Conor Jackson
is sure the
Arizona Diamondbacks
are better than their lost June suggests. For one game, they proved it.
Orlando Hudson
homered for the second consecutive game and drove in four runs, Jackson went 4-for-5 with a double and two runs, and Arizona
beat the
Los Angeles Angels
9-7 Sunday to snap a five-game losing streak.
''We're good, there's no doubt about it,'' Jackson said. ''We know how good we are.''
The Diamondbacks won for only the third time in 20 games despite throwing five wild pitches. Arizona, which also improved
to 1-8 in interleague play, is 2-10 in its last 12 at home.
Despite the three-week free-fall, the Diamondbacks have lost only six games in the standings. They trail the NL West-leading
Dodgers by 3 1/2 games after leading the division by 2 1/2 on June 5.
''You're going to go through spells like this, but we're in the West,'' Jackson said. ''Nobody is out of it.''
Kendry Morales
homered and drove in two runs for the Angels, who had their three-game winning streak snapped.
''I think we did a lot of the things we need to do, particularly on the offensive side,'' Angels manager
Mike Scioscia
said. ''Our challenge is looking forward and bringing a consistent game on the field each night. That's been a struggle for
us.''
With the score tied at 4 in the fifth inning,
Kelvim Escobar
walked
Chad Tracy
and gave up a solid single to Jackson. Escobar (5-9) struck out
Shawn Green
before Hudson hit the first pitch he saw a half-dozen rows up into the right-field stands for his fifth homer and a 7-4 Arizona
lead.
''He's probably been swinging the bat better than anyone we've had during this situation,'' Arizona manager
Bob Melvin
said. ''He's not only getting big hits but getting them two or three at a time.''
Craig Counsell
added a two-out RBI double off reliever J.C. Romero to make it 8-4.
The Angels scored single runs in the sixth and seventh on Morales' homer and an RBI groundout by
Mike Napoli
to pull to 8-6.
Miguel Batista
overcame some early control problems and made the lead stand up as he scattered seven hits over seven innings. Batista (7-5)
allowed six runs, walked three, struck out three and added an RBI single to snap his three-game losing streak.
''I may lead the league in hits allowed, but how many guys hit the ball to the wall,'' said Batista, tied with Houston's
Andy Pettitte
with 126 hits allowed. ''I gave up seven hits and the home run, but how many other balls did they hit off the wall?''
Jorge Julio
pitched a hitless ninth for his sixth save in six opportunities. He threw a run-scoring wild pitch but retired pinch-hitter
Garret Anderson
in an 11-pitch at-bat with a runner on to end it.
''He went foul, foul, foul,'' Julio said. ''That's OK. I throw fastball, fastball, fastball.''
Escobar lasted just 4 2-3 innings, his second-shortest start of the season. He allowed eight runs, nine hits and matched a
season high with five walks.
''My command was a little bit off and when I got ahead I wasn't able to make that good pitch to finish them up,'' Escobar
said.
Six consecutive Diamondbacks reached base safely to start the second as Arizona rallied from an early two-run deficit with
a four-run inning.
Jackson, Green and Hudson all singled, with Jackson scoring on Hudson's hit to cut the Angels' lead to 2-1.
Chris Snyder
walked and Batista followed with a one-hop bouncer into left to score Green and tie the game.
Counsell drove in Hudson on a single to right, Arizona's fifth of the inning, and
Jeff DaVanon
capped the rally with a sacrifice fly to make it 4-2.
''He has had some leads here and over the last couple of starts that he hasn't been able to hold,'' Scioscia said. ''But I
think Esky has a good idea of what he needs to do. It's just a matter of doing it.''
Los Angeles tied it at 4 in the third on an RBI single by Morales and
Tommy Murphy
's run-scoring double.
The Angels took a 2-0 lead before getting their first hit off Batista.
Maicer Izturis
led off the game with a walk, went to second on a wild pitch, advanced to third on a groundout and scored on another wild
pitch.
In the second,
Tim Salmon
led off with a walk, moved to second on Batista's third wild pitch of the game, went to third on a grounder and came home
on Murphy's suicide squeeze.
''At some point you just have to keep battling and put away the inning before,'' Melvin said.
Notes: Jackson's four-hit game was his first and the 11th by an Arizona hitter this season. ... Escobar has allowed eight
runs in a game three times this season. ... Batista has allowed four runs or more in each of his last four starts. ... Angels
SS
Orlando Cabrera
walked in the fourth to reach base for the 53rd consecutive game, the longest streak in the majors since Yankees star
Alex Rodriguez
also reached safely in 53 straight games in 2004. ... Melvin remained in the dugout during an eighth-inning pitching change,
sending pitching coach Bryan Price on a rare trip to the mound to make the switch instead.
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