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Native Phoenician beats Diamondbacks 8-1

Associated Press Arizona Daily Wildcat Arizona Diamondbacks right fielder Rob Ryan slides across the field after making a diving catch of a ball hit by Montreal Expos' Manny Martinez in the eighth inning last night in Phoenix. The Expos won 8-1. Diamondbacks center fielder Steve Finley follows the play.

Associated Press

PHOENIX - Dustin Hermanson has lived in Phoenix since 1995 and, as far as his pitching is concerned, there's no place like home.

Last year, Hermanson pitched a two-hit complete game when his Montreal Expos came to Arizona, where his dad, mom and sister also live. Last night, with the family cheering him on, he came within two outs of his second career shutout as the Expos beat the Diamondbacks 8-1.

''I just feel good here,'' Hermanson said. ''I get to come home and visit my house and my wife and have some time alone with them, so I think it helps relax me a bit. And maybe this is a good place to pitch.''

Arizona is certainly a good team for Hermanson to pitch against. He's 4-0 lifetime against the Diamondbacks.

Hermanson (6-12) brought a five-hitter into the ninth inning before allowing Jay Bell's 32nd homer with one out. Luis Gonzalez followed with a double to chase Hermanson, who struck out three and walked none.

''Hermanson was outstanding,'' Montreal manager Felipe Alou said. ''He's a second-half guy, you know, and he's throwing the ball real well lately.''

After allowing Erubiel Durazo's double in the second inning, Hermanson retired 15 in a row before Gonzalez extended his hitting streak to 16 games with a one-out single in the seventh.

Geoff Blum and Wilton Guerrero hit home runs off Arizona starter Omar Daal (13-8), who gave up five runs on six hits in four innings, his shortest outing of the year.

''He didn't have the normal snap on his breaking ball,'' Diamondbacks manager Buck Showalter said. ''You have to be able to throw more than a fastball.''

The Expos took the last two of the three-game series to slice Arizona's lead over second-place San Francisco to 6 1/2 games. The Diamondbacks, who begin a three-game series in Atlanta tomorrow, managed just two runs against the Expos in the two losses.

''We haven't played a game that bad in a long time,'' Gonzalez said. ''We were flat tonight. We have a big series in Atlanta. We'll try to play well there.''

Blum's leadoff homer in the second inning was just his sixth of the season but second in as many nights. Guerrero, who also had a leadoff double in the first, led off the fourth with his first home run of the season.

Jose Vidro was 3-for-3 with three RBIs and two doubles. Rondell White had an RBI double and triple.

Montreal scored three in the first. Guerrero doubled and, after an out, Michael Barrett walked, then White doubled down the left field line to drive in a run. Chris Widger and Vidro followed with RBI singles.

Blum, whose homer against Randy Johnson was the deciding blow in Montreal's 2-1 victory Tuesday night, made it 4-0 with his solo shot into the Arizona bullpen in left field in the second. After the Expos scored single runs in the fourth and fifth, Vidro's two-run double off Darren Holmes with two outs in the sixth made it 8-0.