Hill's double lifts Diamondbacks past Giants

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Friday, April 17, 2015

SAN FRANCISCO -- Arizona second baseman Aaron Hill spent most of the game diving around on the infield dirt at AT&T Park. He ended it with a rare hit off Giants closer Sergio Romo that likely saved teammate Josh Collmenter's spot in the Diamondbacks' rotation.

Hill hit a two-run double with two outs in the 12th inning and Arizona held on to beat San Francisco Giants 7-6 on Thursday night.

Diamondbacks manager Chip Hale had cleared his bench, emptied his bullpen and had Collmenter -- Friday's scheduled starter -- warming up in the bullpen.

Hale planned on using Collmenter had the game gone any longer. Hill, who made several key defensive plays earlier in the game, bailed the Arizona skipper out with his game-winning hit -- Hill's first in 11 at-bats against Romo.

"He's pitched me very well," Hill said. "I've always told myself just try to get something up with him. He's got that tough slider. I was lucky enough to get something I could put a barrel on."

Ender Inciarte singled to lead off the inning against Sergio Romo (0-1) and stole second base. After Paul Goldschmidt was intentionally walked with one out, Cliff Pennington popped out to short. Hill followed with a line shot into the gap in left-center to drive in both runners.

Randall Delgado (1-1), the eighth Arizona pitcher, retired six batters for the win.

Mark Trumbo, Paul Goldschmidt and A.J. Pollock homered for the Diamondbacks, who blew a three-run lead late before beating San Francisco for only the fourth time in the last 15 games.

"We have to learn how to win these type of games," Hale said. "When you win in 12 it's great but you'd like to win that game in nine."

Brandon Crawford homered to end an 0-for-23 slump for the Giants. San Francisco has lost seven straight.

The 3-8 start matches the Giants' worst start in the San Francisco era.

"We're not happy about it, that's for sure," Giants starter Madison Bumgarner said. "But I definitely think things will turn around for us. It can be frustrating but we play a lot of games."

Arizona won despite blowing two late leads.

Joe Panik's two-out triple in the ninth tied the score at 4-all.

After Pollock hit a home run in the 10th that bounced off the foul pole in left field, San Francisco rallied to tie it again on Matt Duffy's infield single with the bases loaded in the bottom of the inning.

Hill's hit put the Diamondbacks back in front but Delgado gave up a two-out RBI double to Duffy before Panik lined out to the pitcher to end it.

Trumbo homered leading off the second while Goldschmidt hit a three-run home run in the fifth. Both home runs came off Bumgarner, the reigning World Series MVP.

Bumgarner allowed six hits in seven innings with four strikeouts and one walk.

It wasn't enough to prevent the defending champs from extending their longest losing streak since 2010, on manager Bruce Bochy's 60th birthday at that.

Diamondbacks starter Archie Bradley, who beat 2014 NL CY Young winner Clayton Kershaw in his first major league start on April 11, gave up two runs and four hits in 6 2/3 innings. He struck out four and walked two.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Diamondbacks: LHP Patrick Corbin and RHP David Hernandez will throw bullpen sessions on Friday. Both are coming back from elbow surgery and have been on the disabled list since the beginning of the season.

Giants: Injured 3BCasey McGehee(knee) took grounders and did some running before the game but was not in thestarting lineup. McGhee, who pinch-hit with two outs in the ninth, expects to start Friday.

UP NEXT

Diamondbacks: RHP Collmenter (0-2) looks to snap his winless streak against San Francisco, the team he beat to earn his first major league victory in 2011.

Giants: RHPJake Peavy(0-1) starts against Arizona and has beaten the Diamondbacks in his last appearancesagainst them since 2009.

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