Owings almost does it all, 8-0

Micah Owings pitched and batted the Diamondbacks past the Pirates.

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Arizona manager Bob Melvin’s last-minute move to play Micah Owings would have been a great one even if Owings hadn’t pitched one of the best games of his career.

Owings was 4-for-4 with three doubles and three RBIs while pitching 61⁄3 innings to boost the Diamondbacks over the Pittsburgh Pirates 8-0 Thursday and stop a three-game losing streak for the NL West leaders.

Given an ominous weather forecast, Melvin decided less than an hour before game time to hold back ace Brandon Webb (17-10) and pitch Owings (8-8).

The scenario

The Diamondbacks then assured themselves of holding at least a one-game division lead when they open a three-game series tonight at Colorado with Webb on the mound.

Arizona began Thursday one game ahead of San Diego, which played at Milwaukee, and two in front of Colorado, which was at Los Angeles.

“I was eating breakfast when they told me, and a lot started running through my mind,” Owings said. “It got back to the fact I’ve got to go out and do the best I can, try to help my team and not try to do too much.”

Do too much? How much more could he have done?

Owings allowed four hits, struck out four and walked none. In his previous start, he beat San Francisco 5-0 on Sept. 18 with a two-hitter.

“How impressive was the two-hit shutout the last time? Pretty impressive,” Melvin said. “But this is even more impressive to me.”

Pitched better

Owings hit an RBI double during a three-run second against John Van Benschoten (0-7), then added a two-run double in the seventh off Romulo Sanchez.

Overall, it wasn’t as big a game statistically as his two-homer, six-RBI day against Atlanta on Aug. 18, but Owings pitched better than he did in beating the Braves 7-6.

“It was nice to get back in the [batter’s] box, it had been over a week,” Owings said. “I love getting in the box, it’s just another way I can help the team.”

Owings was lifted when it finally began raining, but only briefly, during the seventh. Play was held up only 18 minutes, but Tony Pena replaced Owings when the game resumed.

“The main thing is we’re still in first place,” Owings said. “I wish I could say the pressure was on and I wanted to be the guy to step up, but I think anybody in this room would say that.”

Pena, Dustin Nippert and Yusmeiro Petit finished Arizona’s 12th shutout of the season with a scoreless inning apiece.

Webb is 3-0 in his career against Pittsburgh, but 0-3 against Colorado, and top pitchers often dislike moving off schedule.

But with heavy rain expected to fall early — instead, it skirted the city except during the brief delay — Melvin didn’t want Webb to pitch only an inning or two and then be forced out of the game.