Bucs hand Arizona second loss in row to snap slump

The Diamondbacks are trying to wrap up their fourth
division title in 10 seasons.

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Arizona is having a tough time closing out the NL West.

Pinch-hitter Josh Phelps singled in the go-ahead run with two outs in the eighth after Pittsburgh blew a four-run lead in the top of the inning, and the Pirates halted a nine-game losing streak by beating the Diamondbacks 6-5 on Tuesday night.

Arizona, which lost its second in a row after winning four straight, began the night three games ahead of second-place San Diego, which played at San Francisco.

The Diamondbacks trailed 5-1 going into the eighth but scored four runs against three relievers to tie it. Chris Snyder’s RBI double off Romulo Sanchez led to pinch-hitter Conor Jackson’s two-run single and Stephen Drew’s tying single, with both against John Grabow.

Adam LaRoche doubled with one out and in the bottom half and scored when Phelps, in a 3-for-25 slump, singled into left field against Brandon Lyon (6-4), the Diamondbacks’ sixth pitcher.

Grabow is winner

Grabow (4-1) got the victory despite allowing three inherited runners to score. Matt Capps finished with a perfect ninth for his 18th save in 21 chances.

Arizona, starting a six-game trip, is trying to win its fourth division title in 10 seasons,

The Pirates avoided their second double-digit losing streak in as many seasons under manager Jim Tracy. They had a modern-era club record 13-game losing streak in June 2006. Poor finishes are nothing new for the Pirates, who took an eight-game losing streak into the final week of last season but ended it by winning their final two games.

Ian Snell, making his final start of the season, limited Arizona to one run over six innings by stranding seven runners but did not figure in the decision.

Will skip final start

Snell complained recently of fatigue and, after pitching a career-high 208 innings, will be skipped over for what would have been his final start of the season Sunday. The right-hander allowed only six earned runs in 33 innings over five starts in September, a 1.64 ERA, allowing one run or no runs four times.

The Pirates took a 2-0 lead in the first as leadoff hitter Nyjer Morgan homered into the right-field seats off Doug Davis, his first career homer, and Jose Bautista doubled and scored on a double play. Arizona’s only run off Snell came on Augie Ojeda’s two-out RBI single in the second.

The score stayed 2-1 until the Pirates scored three runs in the seventh. Cesar Izturis hit a run-scoring double following two walks by reliever Tony Pena, and pinch-hitter Nate McLouth had a two-run single off Bill Murphy.