Gerardo Parra proceeded to nail a single and pinch-hitter Geoff Blum got the base on balls treatment, which set the stage for a two-run triple by Willie Bloomquist's and an RBI single by Aaron Hill. The scoreboard was then 4-1 in favor of the Diamondbacks.
Arizona's dugout was nothing but smiles after the eighth inning, with the exception of Justin Upton, who was ejected early in the game. Vogelsong fanned the Diamondbacks' all-star in the fourth inning with a pitch that nipped the edge of the strike zone, causing J-Up to literally jump into the air and argue with home plate umpire Brian Knight. After getting tossed by the ump, Upton got pissed, got up in the Knight's grill, and got physically restrained by manager Kirk Gibson.
Upton's meltdown wasn't his only memorable moment of the weekend, as J-Up as he scattered a few singles and doubles throughout the three-game series. On Friday, his hits proved to be futile as the Diamondbacks were beaten soundly by San Francisco 6-2. Matt Cain's performance on the mound (striking out seven and walking two), helped the Giants break Arizona's win streak and earn a much-needed victory over the D-Backs.
On Saturday, however, Justin's hitting heroics were part of the numerous runs that Arizona scored on its way to a 7-2 win over San Francisco during yet another outstanding pitching outing by Ian Kennedy. Upton was on base when Paul Goldschmidt crushed an RBI single in the fifth inning, and J-Up's single in the ninth inning started a scoring drive that resulted in two runs. Kennedy nabbed his eighteenth win of the season.
Arizona's magic number is now at 16 after their weekend wins, which put San Francisco on the bubble. There's still plenty of baseball left to be played, but the D-Backs have likely put things out of reach for the Giants. The Snakes will probably put a few more games distance between themselves and San Fran as they head to Denver for a three-game series with the Rockies starting tonight. Wade Miley (2-1, 3.94 ERA) will go for his third win against Esmil Rogers (6-4, 5.94 ERA). First pitch is at 12:10 p.m. TV: Fox Sports Arizona. Radio: KTAR 620-AM. For more information, visit www.dbacks.com.
