NATIONAL LEAGUE Overbay's lead-off home run in sixth beats Pittsburgh, 2-1

Miguel Batista outdueled Kip Wells.
PITTSBURGH (AP) -- The word didn't take long to spread around the National League: Lyle Overbay won't swing at a first pitch.
Kip Wells was aware of the Arizona rookie's reluctance to possibly limit an at-bat to a single pitch. No doubt that's why he threw a down-the-middle fastball that Overbay took while striking out Sunday in the fourth inning.
The Pittsburgh starter's biggest mistake on an afternoon dominated by pitching and defense might have been trying to do it again.
Overbay sent Wells' first-pitch fastball over the right-field stands leading off the sixth, providing the margin of difference in a 2-1 Arizona victory effectively decided by a pair of first-pitch swings.
"He hit that ball as hard as we've seen him hit it," Arizona manager Bob Brenly said.
Bucs still had chance
The Pirates had a chance to win it when Kenny Lofton doubled high off the right-field wall with two outs in the ninth. But Jason Kendall, also swinging at the first pitch, flied out to right as Matt Mantei finished up for his sixth save in seven opportunities.
Overbay, in a 4-for-31 slump, drove in both Arizona runs as the Diamondbacks took two of three in the series. The Pirates have dropped eight of nine and have lost all six series in PNC Park.
What excited Brenly nearly as much as the homer was that Overbay came out aggressive, looking to hit the first pitch in the sixth.
"With the advance scouting the way it is, the word gets around fast -- he won't swing at a [first pitch]," Brenly said. "He [Wells] laid it in there ... and he hit it the way you'd like to see him hit it."
Overbay's drive cut through a strong wind that blew from right field to left nearly all afternoon, so he wasn't sure if the ball would carry. As it turned out, he had about 50 feet to spare.
"That's probably as hard as I can hit it," Overbay said.
Wells (1-2) was good in yet another effective start, limiting Arizona to two runs and five hits in seven innings. But the Diamondbacks' Miguel Batista (3-2) was even better.
Batista in top form
Batista, who moved into the rotation in mid-April when Randy Johnson initially was sidelined, held the Pirates to one run and five hits in six innings. Batista is 3-0 with three no-decisions and a 1.42 ERA in six starts.
"He was impressive," Arizona's Quinton McCracken said. "I don't know how many bats he broke, but it probably was enough to make a bonfire."
Even with his control problems -- he has walked 26 in 51 1/3 innings -- Wells (1-2) has allowed only eight earned runs in his last five starts, yet has won only once in his eight starts. He has a 2.05 ERA in four starts at PNC Park this season and is 0-6 in 11 starts there since June 26.
"You hate to see him keep pitching this well and have nothing to show for it," manager Lloyd McClendon said. "You don't want him to feel he has to throw a shutout every time."