http://0rz.tw/iTWNy D-backs cut Giants' lead to one game By Adam Berry / MLB.com | 8/2/2011 2:29 AM ET SAN FRANCISCO -- While enduring a lengthy list of injuries and soldiering through their season-long offensive struggles, the Giants have been able to take solace in one fact: They were in first place. After Monday night's 5-2 loss to the D-backs in AT&T Park, the Giants are now dangerously close to losing that distinction, as their lead in the National League West dwindled to just one game while Arizona clearly showed it wasn't going to go sit back and let the Giants into the playoffs without a fight. "I never doubted that. They're a good club, and they've had a nice year," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. "It's going to be a battle. I expected it to go down to the wire, to be honest." Much had changed for the Giants since they last took the field at home, as they traded for two new everyday players in Carlos Beltran and Orlando Cabrera and even bumped Cody Ross into the leadoff spot Monday night, but their mild offensive output remained the same. Extending its losing streak to four games, San Francisco managed only two solo homers off Ian Kennedy. The Arizona right-hander struck out seven and walked one in eight strong innings, and the D-backs erupted for five runs in the sixth against Matt Cain. Like Bochy, Cain acknowledged that the D-backs will remain a threat for the rest of the season, especially if they put together more games like they did Monday in San Francisco. "They're good. We've noticed that. We thought that in spring," Cain said. "We thought they were going to be a group of guys that are always going to hit. ... They've been throwing the ball well. They're a group of guys that are definitely playing good right now." The D-backs didn't draw much attention to the slowly shrinking deficit in the division, though they had plenty of room for optimism after beating Cain and narrowing the gap between first and second place. "They're all big, really, but it was nice to come in and get Game 1, and hopefully it kind of sets the tone for the rest of the series," Arizona shortstop Willie Bloomquist said. "We beat one of their horses today, and our guy pitched pretty dang good, too. They're obviously world champs, so we've got to come in and beat them if we want to be the best. They're obviously a great team, but we played well today and got the 'W,' so that was important." As unremarkable as low-scoring games by the Giants have become, Cain's five-run inning felt out of place. After posting five scoreless frames and pitching his way out of a bases-loaded jam in the fifth, the right-hander recorded only two outs in the sixth while getting hit around by a potent D-backs lineup. In all, Cain allowed eight hits and walked three batters while striking out five. Five of those hits and one of the walks came in the sixth. Justin Upton led off with a single, Chris Young walked and Miguel Montero drove in Upton with a single to right field. After meeting with pitching coach Dave Righetti, Cain gave up an RBI single to Ryan Roberts. Gerardo Parra and Willie Bloomquist also stroked run-scoring singles, bringing the damage to five runs before Jeremy Affeldt entered to relieve an admittedly frustrated Cain. "That's just kind of the way it goes sometimes. You make good pitches, and sometimes they're going to find holes," Cain said. "They did their job of being able to put the ball in play." Ross, who got the start in center field, supplied half the Giants' offense in their first at-bat, taking an 0-2 pitch from Kennedy over the left-field wall for his second career leadoff homer. It was the Giants' first leadoff home run all year and their only first-inning round-tripper of the season at home. Before the game, Bochy said he was looking for someone to step up and claim the leadoff spot, as Andres Torres has struggled after a breakout season in 2010, and Ross appeared to do just that with his eighth home run of the season. He added a single to center field in the eighth, finishing 2-for-4. "I told Bochy as soon as I got here last year, if you need me to do anything, I can play all three outfield positions, and wherever you want me to hit, I'm open to it," Ross said. "Nothing's changed. I've always been like that my whole career. ... As long as I'm out there trying to contribute and trying to help this team win, that's all I can really do." Huff also launched a home run in the seventh inning, finishing an 11-pitch at-bat against Kennedy with a high fly ball into the right-field stands. It was Huff's 10th homer of the season but just his second in AT&T Park this year. But it was all the Giants could muster. And if they can't slow the D-backs the rest of the way, they might not be able to fall back on claiming sole possession of first place in the NL West for much longer. "They'll come back tomorrow. It's just one game," Arizona manager Kirk Gibson said. "We don't want to overstate what we did tonight and come back and get them tomorrow." Adam Berry is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs. --

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