Wednesday, May 08, 2002
Diamondbacks 7, Pirates 6
The Associated Press
PHOENIX — Danny Bautista finally is getting a chance to play every day, and he's making the most of it. Bautista, among the league's leading hitters, raised his batting average to .362 Tuesday night and drove in the go-ahead run in the eighth inning with his fourth single as the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 7-6.
“Danny gets his hits every night,” Arizona manager Bob Brenly said. “Some nights he's driving the ball into the gaps or hitting it up into the seats. Other nights he's getting groundballs through. But his approach has been so solid from day one.”
The Diamondbacks did not try to re-sign right fielder Reggie Sanders after last season because they thought Bautista could do the job.
“That's the key, more chances to play,” Bautista said. “I've had a lot more time to show what I can do.”
Bautista, who also had an RBI single in the fourth, tied a career high with four hits. Greg Colbrunn was 3-for-4 with a home run and RBI single for the Diamondbacks, who blew a four-run lead then came back to win.
The Pirates, down 4-0 and 6-2, rallied to tie it in the eighth when Jason Kendall hit his first home run of the season, a two-run shot off reliever Mike Morgan, who also allowed a run on a wild pitch.
The Diamondbacks led 6-3 when starter Miguel Batista left after seven innings.
Armando Rios singled off reliever Eddie Oropesa with one out in the eighth. Morgan replaced Oropesa, gave up a broken-bat single to Kevin Young, then allowed Rios to score on a wild pitch.
Kendall followed with a homer that just cleared the left-field fence and tied it at 6. Mike Myers (2-1) relieved Morgan and struck out the next two batters to end the inning.
Quinton McCracken led off the Arizona eighth with a pinch-hit single off Joe Beimel (0-1), then moved to second on Damian Miller's sacrifice. Tony Womack reached first on an infield single off Beimel's glove, a play that Pittsburgh manager Lloyd McClendon said was one of the biggest of the night.
“If he (Beimel) catches that ball, we've got first base open and certainly have some options,” Pittsburgh manager Lloyd McClendon said, “but that's just a tough play all around.”
McCracken had to stay on second on Womack's hit. Bautista followed with a single and McCracken beat the throw from left fielder Brian Giles, sliding to avoid the catcher Kendall then tagging the plate with his hand as he passed it.
“It was a perfect throw,” Kendall said. “Actually, I think it was a little bit of a home-field advantage because when the ball hit, it was kind of like a golf shot. It made a divot. If there was any moisture out there, it would have skipped right to me and he would have been out.”
Byung-Hyun Kim, who has allowed one run all season, struck out the side in the ninth for his ninth save in as many opportunities.
Craig Counsell doubled in two runs in the fifth after the Pirates had scored twice in their half to cut the lead to 4-2.
Ron Villone gave up six runs and 12 hits in five innings for the Pirates.
Colbrunn, in the lineup at first to put another right-hander against the left-handed Villone, is hitting .476 (10-for-21) in the seven games he has started.
“I've been doing this for a few years now, coming off the bench with a spot start here and there,” Colbrunn said. “You try and make the most of every opportunity. Each at-bat is a precious thing. That's the approach I try to take.”
Trailing 4-0, the Pirates broke through with two outs in the fifth when Villone got his first career triple — and second hit of the season — then scored on Adrian Brown's second single of the night. Reese followed with an RBI single to cut the lead to 4-2.
Craig Wilson doubled in a run in the seventh to cut it to 6-3.
Notes: In his last three starts, Villone has allowed 19 runs and 27 hits in 15 1-3 innings. ... Arizona has won five of six after starting its homestand 0-2. ... Pittsburgh is 2-6 with one game left on its nine-game trip through the West. ... Curt Schilling will try to become baseball's first seven-game winner when the Diamondbacks conclude their nine-game homestand Wednesday night. ... RHP Josh Fogg, who beat Randy Johnson on Monday night, entered as a pinch-runner in the eighth.
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Diamondbacks 7, Pirates 6 
