http://0rz.tw/5Yu4l Giants top D-backs to extend NL West lead By Barry M. Bloom / MLB.com | 6/16/2011 2:30 AM ET PHOENIX -- A key play at the plate, triples from some very unlikely sources and two hits from newcomer Bill Hall led to a win for Madison Bumgarner and Brian Wilson's Major League-leading 20th save. The Giants are living large right now and, after beating the D-backs, 5-2, on Wednesday night at Chase Field, have won for the fourth time in the last five games to open a 2 1/2-game lead over second-place Arizona in the National League West. The teams conclude the three-game series on Thursday night. By the way, the triples were hit by Pat Burrell and Eli Whiteside, neither noted for his speed. But that's the way the defending World Series champions do it. "It is," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. "We rely on our speed like Burrell. But on the serious side, it's everybody helping out." And it's the veteran Bochy pushing all the right buttons, which experts have been saying since his stellar performance this past postseason. He gave Miguel Tejada a rare start at shortstop. With the lead in the seventh, he made a typical move, pulling the plodding Burrell and moving Aaron Rowand from center to left field. Wouldn't you know it, in the eighth, Rowand and Tejada combined on the decisive defensive play of the game. The Giants cut off the potential tying run to end the inning when Chris Young doubled into the left-field corner with Kelly Johnson on first and two out. Johnson sped around the bases, but Rowand made a perfect relay throw to Tejada, who tossed a strike to Whiteside at the plate. Johnson was out by several feet. The score stood 3-2 and the run would've cost Bumgarner his third win in 11 decisions not to mention sending the game into the ninth inning tied. Instead, the Giants plated a pair of insurance runs and Wilson came on to do what he does best: save the game with his usual dramatic flair. What most impressed Bochy about the relay play? "Well, really, both guys getting rid of it," he said. "Rowand getting it to Miggy in a hurry. And Miggy, what a quick release and a strong throw right on the money. There was such speed on the bases and now he's gone. It took perfect execution to get it done. Plus, Whitey holding on to the ball." Considering the tightness of the game and the fact that 19 of the Giants' 39 wins have been by a single run, D-backs manager Kirk Gibson agreed with the decision by third-base coach Matt Williams to send Johnson in that situation. "Rowand made a really good play on it," Gibson said. "He went into the corner, and as I saw it on TV, it looked like the ball popped right up to him and they made a picture-perfect relay play. You have to give them credit for that." The left-handed Bumgarner has had hard times this season. But on Wednesday night, he allowed only two runs on six hits in six innings. He struck out six and walked one. The runs came on homers. Willie Bloomquist hit his second of the season with one out in the third and Young cracked his 13th to open the fourth. Otherwise, Bumgarner pitched with little difficulty, winning for the third time in his last six starts. He opened the season with six consecutive losses. His toughest inning might have been the sixth when with one out, Justin Upton was safe on an infield single and Young walked. But Bumgarner dug in deep and struck out Stephen Drew and Xavier Nady to end the threat. Bumgarner said he was fortunate to get out of there with the victory. "I feel like I've thrown some better games before today," he said. "Today it was a battle. We've had a tough time scoring in some of the games. It seemed like if we scored a couple I'd give up a couple. That's the way it's been going. Tonight it was the other way around. We scored enough. Everybody did their part the whole game. We're playing the game the right way. It's fun to watch." Hall, starting his first game for the Giants at second base, would certainly agree. He singled home Aubrey Huff in the sixth, plus doubled and scored in the ninth. Hall was signed Saturday when Freddy Sanchez was placed on the disabled list with a dislocated right shoulder. Hall, who was cut by the Astros, said 30 minutes working off a tee with Giants hitting coach Hensley Meulens gave him a new lease on life. Hall knows he has a great opportunity with the Giants. "Coming over here, I'm just trying to contribute as much as I can," he said. "This was a great ballclub before me. It's going to be a great ballclub whether I'm here or not. But I think I can do some things to help this team win. We know the pitching is the key to this ballclub and that we have to play good defense. Three or four runs can win us every ballgame with the pitching staff we have." Barry M. Bloom is a national reporter for MLB.com and writes an MLBlog, Boomskie on Baseball. Follow @boomskie on Twitter. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs. --

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