Dan Haren pitches into 8th inning, hits RBI double for Arizona in 5-3 win over Astros
Associated Press | Apr 28, 08 11:39 PM CDT in
Sports
Dan Haren pitched into the eighth inning and hit an RBI double, leading the Arizona Diamondbacks past the Houston Astros 5-3 on Monday night.
Haren (4-1) scattered five hits over a season-high 7 2-3 innings and Mark Reynolds hit a two-run double for the Diamondbacks, who improved their major league-leading record to 19-7. The right-hander retired the side in order six times, finishing with five strikeouts and one walk.
Chad Qualls got the final out in the eighth inning and Brandon Lyon pitched a perfect ninth for his eighth save in 10 chances.
Miguel Tejada had an RBI double in the eighth for the Astros, who have lost three straight after a season-best six-game winning streak.
Haren helped his own cause in the third. After Stephen Drew doubled off the center-field wall, Haren hit a line drive to right field. Hunter Pence took two steps in and then backpedaled in vain as the ball sailed over his outstretched glove and to the wall for an RBI double.
The Diamondbacks added three more runs in the fourth off Chris Sampson (1-3). Orlando Hudson walked and Conor Jackson singled to center. Reynolds followed with a double into the left-field corner, scoring Hudson and Jackson to make it 3-0. Reynolds stole third and scored on Chris Snyder's single.
Haren retired his first 12 batters before running into trouble in the fifth. Lance Berkman walked, went to third on Carlos Lee's double and scored on an RBI groundout by Pence.
Mark Loretta singled to make it 4-2. Haren hit J.R. Towles with a pitch, and Sampson was safe at first when his sacrifice bunt rolled untouched between Haren and Reynolds to the left of the mound for a single that loaded the bases.
But Haren escaped further damage when Kazuo Matsui popped out and Michael Bourn struck out.
Byrnes made it 5-2 in the fifth when he was hit by a pitch and scored on Jackson's single.
Sampson allowed five runs and seven hits over 4 1-3 innings with two walks and a hit batter.
The Astros chased Haren in the eighth on consecutive two-out doubles by Bourn and Tejada that cut Arizona's lead to 5-3.
Notes:@ Houston LHP Wandy Rodriguez, out since April 20 with a strained groin, threw 60 pitches in a simulated game Monday and will be re-evaluated Tuesday. ... Astros 3B Ty Wiggington, on the DL since April 6 with a fractured left thumb, made the first of three scheduled rehab starts for Triple-A Round Rock against Tucson and went 1-for-2 with a triple. Wiggington also was hit twice and intentionally walked once. ... Both of Haren's hits this season have been doubles. ... Reynolds' stolen base was his third, tying him with Byrnes and Chris Young for the team lead. ... Arizona has stolen 14 bases in 16 attempts.
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