San Francisco, CA – Hunter Pence and Marco Scutaro each hit two-run homers, Barry Zito pitched six solid innings, and the San Francisco Giants downed the Arizona Diamondbacks, 7-3, in the rubber match of a three- game series at AT&T Park.
Zito (14-8) tossed a quality start for the Giants, who have won 12 of their last 15. He won his sixth straight decision after limiting the D'backs to three runs on six hits with three strikeouts and three walks.
"He's done a great job," said Giants manager Bruce Bochy of Zito. "He's had a real nice year, and it's been fun to watch how he's bounced back and really put together a good year. He's pitched some big games for us and gotten wins when we really needed them."
Buster Posey -- locked in a tight race with the Pirates' Andrew McCutchen for the NL batting title -- added a few more hits Thursday, going 2-for-4 with a run scored, and Hector Sanchez added on a solo shot in the eighth inning for the NL West champions.
Diamondbacks rookie starter Patrick Corbin (6-8) lasted just three innings, surrendering six runs on seven hits. Chris Young had two RBI for the D'backs, who have lost three of their last four.
"He gave up six runs on 19 pitches, with two home runs," said Arizona manager Kirk Gibson of Corbin's night on the mound. "You could see him trying to come in on guys and leave it out over the plate, and (the Giants) came out swinging the bats."
Pence and Scutaro each hit their blasts in the bottom of the second, powering the Giants to an early six-run lead and giving Zito a comfortable cushion with which to work.
Posey led off the inning with a single, and Pence drove in the game's first two runs with his homer to left-center field. Brandon Belt followed with a single and scored on a Sanchez double.
Zito helped himself with a single, which allowed Sanchez to move up to third and then score on a passed ball by Miguel Montero.
After Angel Pagan grounded out for the second out, Scutaro capped off the damage by hitting his own two-run shot to left.
The D'backs got two back in the top of the fourth after Zito loaded the bases, giving up a single to Paul Goldschmidt and walks to Cody Ransom and Jake Elmore.
Young, coming off the bench to pinch-hit for Corbin, hit a single to left scoring Goldschmidt and Ransom.
Arizona made it a 6-3 game in the sixth when Elmore hit a two-out, ground- rule double to left to score Ransom, who had doubled off Zito in the previous at-bat. But Zito got pinch-hitter Wil Nieves to fly out to center to limit any more runs.
San Francisco was able to tack on one more run in the eighth on Sanchez's two- out shot.
Game Notes
The Giants have now won 12 of their last 15, and have won each of Zito's last 10 starts ... San Francisco and Arizona split the season series, 9-9.
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