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Pittsburgh snaps D'Backs' win streak in 5-1 victory

Associated Press Arizona Daily Wildcat Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Armando Reynoso, left, confers with catcher Damian Miller after Reynoso gave up a walk to Pittsburgh Pirates batter Aramis Ramirez to load the bases in the second inning in Phoenix last night.

Associated Press

PHOENIX - Rookie Kris Benson won for the first time in seven starts, helping himself with a bases-loaded single last night as the Pittsburgh Pirates defeated the Arizona Diamondbacks 5-1.

Brian Giles hit his 37th home run and Aramis Ramirez had a two-run triple as the Pirates snapped the Diamondbacks' four-game winning streak.

With just their second loss in 11 games, the Diamondbacks' lead over second-place San Francisco in the NL West was reduced to 7 1/2 games. The magic number of Diamondbacks' victories or Giants' losses for Arizona to clinch the division title remained at 10.

Benson (11-13) was 0-5 in his previous six starts and hadn't won since Aug. 8. The 24-year-old right-hander held the Diamondbacks to one run and seven hits in 8 1-3 innings. He struck out four and walked one.

Armando Reynoso (10-5) got the start because Randy Johnson is resting a sore shoulder. Reynoso allowed five runs on four hits in 5 1-3 innings to lose his third straight start.

Giles' leadoff homer ignited Pittsburgh's three-run sixth inning. Reynoso walked Kevin Young, Warren Morris singled and Darren Holmes relieved.

Ramirez tripled just over the glove of Steve Finley in deep right-center field to put the Pirates up 5-1.

Diamondbacks third baseman Matt Williams' mother, Sarah Williams, is recovering from a stroke, but said she has been comforted by a visit from her son.

Matt Williams, who is leading the National League in runs batted in with 130, left the Diamondbacks Tuesday to be with his mother, who suffered a stroke eight days ago, in Carson City, Nev.

Williams went to Carson City with his wife, actress Michele Johnson, and his three children. The team did not say when Williams might return.

''I'm doing better. Matt came home,'' said his mother, who is at home. ''I feel good. I'm just kind of recuperating, getting my speech back, getting my extremities back. I didn't know he was coming.

''I told his brothers not to tell him,'' she said. ''He's going so good.''

Williams' mother, who is the daughter of the late Bart Griffith, a first baseman-outfielder for the Brooklyn Dodgers and Washington Senators from 1922 to 1924, said she was hospitalized for two days before returning home.

''Thank goodness it was very mild, my right side,'' she said. ''I'm slowly coming back.

''My leg's much better. I can write now. We have to find out what caused it. I was surprised to see Matt. I told them not to tell him because I didn't want it to affect his season.''

Arizona manager Buck Showalter said before last night's game that he expected to hear from his third baseman in the next day or two.

''He's going to give me a call to tell me when he feels comfortable about coming back,'' Showalter said. ''It's his call all the way.''