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Intentionally walking Luis Gonzalez to get to Richie Sexson can be a dangerous move.
Just ask Bruce Bochy and his San Diego Padres.
Sexson followed Gonzalez's walk with three-run home run with two outs in the eighth inning Friday night to give the Arizona Diamondbacks a 5-2 victory over the San Diego Padres.
``It's a tough decision,'' Bochy said. ``Really we just wanted righty-on-righty. It was pick your poison, and we got burned this time.''
Padres starter Adam Eaton said he probably would have preferred to pitch to Gonzalez because he's been effective against him so far this season, but he understood that the intentional walk went with the percentages.
``Obviously you go with the proper play, walk him and get to Sexson,'' Eaton said. ``If I make pitches against him (Sexson), I get him out, but the bottom line was I messed up.''
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Sexson lined the first pitch 428 feet off the center-field wall for his sixth
home run of the season.
Matt Kata opened the eighth inning with a bunt single, then stole second to set up the intentional walk to Gonzalez. Sexson understood the move.
``I feel like I'm swinging the bat well but my results don't necessarily show it,'' Sexson said. ``You look up at the scoreboard and see the .200 or whatever I've got and the smart money's on walking Gonzo to get to me. Right-handed against right-handed, a base open, a couple of outs, it's not a bad play.''
San Diego had scored 29 runs in winning their previous three games in San Francisco, but managed only four hits off Arizona.
Diamondbacks rookie Casey Daigle (1-1), who entered the game with an 18.90 ERA in two starts, allowed four hits, including Mark Loretta's two-run homer, in 6 1-3 innings.
``I knew this was for something,'' Daigle said. ``One more or a couple of more outings like I've been having, and I knew I probably wouldn't be here. Last night I just laid in bed and knew I had to go out here and do well.''
He was relieved by Mike Koplove with runners on first and second and one out in the seventh.
AP - Apr 24, 12:58 am EDT
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Eaton advanced the runners to second and third with a sacrifice bunt, then Sean
Burroughs popped out to end the inning.
Koplove (2-1) pitched two scoreless innings to get the victory. Matt Mantei retired the side in order in the ninth to snap a string of two blown saves in a row, the most recent Thursday night in Milwaukee. It was his third save of the season.
Mantei was booed as he came from the bullpen.
``I think that's kind of weak,'' he said. ``I've been here for six years, I've battled through injuries. To have two bad outings and get booed like that was pretty rough, but fans will be fans.''
There was nothing but cheers when the game ended on a called third strike to Khalil Greene.
``Once I got the job done, I was everybody's hero again,'' he said. ``You stink it up the day before, you're everybody's goat.''
Eaton (1-1) allowed two runs, one unearned, in the first inning, then blanked Arizona the next six.
``I wish I could have that pitch back or have taken him out sooner,'' Bochy said, ``because he pitched too good to have that loss.''
The Diamondbacks scored two in the first. Kata, in his first game of the season in the leadoff spot, singled, beat out a double-play attempt to reach second, then scored on Sexson's two-out single.
Steve Finley singled to right, and the ball slid under Brian Giles' glove. Sexson scored from first on a two-base error.
Daigle held San Diego hitless through 2 2-3 innings before Burroughs walked, then Loretta hit a first-pitch homer to left to tie it at 2-2.
Arizona's Danny Bautista extended his hitting streak to 15 games, matching his career-best, with a one-out single in the seventh. It's the longest streakso far in the young season.
Notes
Arizona 2B Roberto Alomar underwent surgery Friday to repair a broken bone
in his right hand and is expected to be sidelined six to eight weeks. He was
hit by a pitch from Ben Sheets in Milwaukee on Tuesday night. ... Before the
game, the Diamondbacks honored Pat Tillman, the former Arizona Cardinals player
who left the NFL and joined the Army Rangers. He was killed in afirefight in
Afghanistan on Thursday.