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Belts 2 homers not enough for Giants
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SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Pinch-hitter Jake Lamb connected for a three-run homer and Jason Bourgeois hit a three-run, inside-the-park homer, leading the Arizona Diamondbacks past the San Francisco Giants 10-6 Wednesday.

Brandon Belt hit two homers and a double for the Giants.

Lamb batted for Arizona starter Robbie Ray in the fourth inning and connected off Giants starter Matt Cain, who gave up six runs on seven hits in four innings.

“It’s important because you don’t know when you’re not going to be in the starting lineup,” Diamondbacks manager Chip Hale said of Lamb. “So you have to be ready to hit off the bench, and that’s what we’re trying to do with some of these guys right now.”

Bourgeois lined a pitch from Chris Heston to left-center field and the ball rolled to the wall. Bourgeois rounded the bases and scored standing up.

Chris Owings also hit a solo homer off Cain and drove in two runs.

“The numbers didn’t look very good because of that three-run home run in the fourth inning, but that’s not something to hang your head on,” Cain said.

Ray allowed four runs on five hits with five strikeouts and two walks in four innings. He threw 85 pitches, including a wild pitch, in his latest bid to be the fifth starter in Arizona’s rotation.

“My command wasn’t there today and I was pitching behind in counts,” Ray said. “Whenever you do that, it’s going to hurt you. I was kind of fighting myself today but physically I feel great.”

Belt raised his spring batting average to .448 with his three hits. His 12 RBIs lead the Giants.

“Ideally you’d like to start peaking late (in spring training), even towards the end,” Belt said. “Trying to be as consistent as possible and carry this into the season. No matter who’s pitching, I feel dangerous.”

A MOMENT FOR JOE

Former player and broadcaster Joe Garagiola was remembered with a moment of silence before the game. Garagiola, whose last 15 years in a 57-year career in broadcasting came with the Diamondbacks, died Wednesday morning at the age of 90.

When his passing was announced to the crowd, fans reacted with shock and sadness.

“He was an icon,” Hale said. “As a kid growing up on TV, whether it was baseball or daily TV, he was always on. Then to get to meet him and to get to know him with the Diamondbacks was phenomenal. There was a little bit of a heavy heart today. We were out there, and I found out right before the game. Just too bad. A lot of good people we are losing, and he was one of the greats.”

 

DECISIONS, DECISIONS

Hale said he’s getting closer to deciding who will make up the starting middle infield, with Owings and Jean Segura switching between shortstop and second base in spring training and Nick Ahmed also in the mix for significant playing time.

“I’d rather almost make the wrong decision than keep having indecision. We will make a decision sooner or later, we have to, obviously, but they’re making it awfully tough,” Hale said. He added that the plan is to be settled on those positions by the time the team plays exhibitions games at its home stadium, Chase Field, in the days before opening day.

Owings started at second base, Ahmed at shortstop and Segura had the day off.

 

TRAINER’S ROOM

Giants: C Trevor Brown returned to action after missing Tuesday’s games when he took a backswing to his arm on Monday. He was hit with a pitch Wednesday but stayed in the game, and had an RBI single in the top of the seventh.

Diamondbacks: OF A.J. Pollock (elbow soreness) played in a minor league game and went 1 for 2 with a bunt single while playing center field. Hale said Pollock will play “full tilt” in a minor league game on Thursday, swinging the bat and playing defense, and will remain on that side of the team complex for the rest of the week. Hale hopes to get Pollock 30 or 35 at-bats in spring training before the regular season starts.

 

STARTING TIME

Giants: Cain didn’t seem too worried about another rough outing, his second one in two major-league appearances this spring. “I felt like my fastball location was a lot better than it was the other day,” he said. “We threw all four pitches when we wanted to and got good reactions out of those, so I thought we had a lot to build off of, even though you look at the line and it might have been a little funky to look at. But that’s what spring’s for.”

Diamondbacks: Ray had his first really rough outing of spring training. He entered the game with a 1.86 earned run average over three previous major-league starts. “He just didn’t have his best stuff,” Hale said. “He wasn’t locating, he wasn’t getting ahead and paid for it. Belt swung the bat well and out over the plate hurt him. Eighty-five pitches in four innings is a lot of pitches.”

 

UP NEXT

Giants: It’s ace against ace when the Giants’ Madison Bumgarner pitches against the Chicago Cubs and NL Cy Young Award winner Jake Arrieta on Thursday.

Diamondbacks: LHP Anthony Banda, with ace Zack Greinke lined up for a minor-league start, is scheduled to pitch against Colin Rea and the San Diego Padres on Thursday.