CINCINNATI (AP) – Javier Vazquez allowed one run in eight innings and Tony Clark hit a tiebreaking, three-run homer in the eighth to send the Arizona Diamondbacks to a 6-2 win over the Cincinnati Reds on Saturday night.

After wasting opportunities in the first seven innings against Reds starter Aaron Harang, the Diamondbacks broke through in the eighth against Jason Standridge (2-2).

With the score tied at 1, Royce Clayton led off with a walk and moved to second on Luis Gonzalez’s single. Clark, whose sixth-inning double snapped a 2-for-15 slump, followed with his 22nd homer, a 416-foot shot into the right-field bleachers.

Arizona improved to 4-7 on its season-long 12-game road trip, which ends Sunday. Cincinnati has lost five of seven.

Vazquez (10-12), who lost his three previous starts, gave up a first-inning run before settling down to allow only three baserunners over the next seven innings, all on singles. Two were erased on double plays.

The right-hander shut down a Reds team that scored 17 runs on 15 hits Friday.

He needed only 77 pitches to get through eight innings. He allowed five hits and one walk with six strikeouts to match Brandon Webb for the team lead in wins.

Arizona added two runs in the ninth on a throwing error by catcher Javier Valentin and an RBI single by Clayton.

Jose Valverde allowed a ninth-inning RBI single to Austin Kearns before closing it out for Arizona.

The Diamondbacks put runners on base in every inning except two against Harang, but they ended up stranding six of seven.

Harang went seven innings, allowing six hits and one run with one walk and three strikeouts.

The Reds scored in the first on Sean Casey’s RBI double with two outs.

Arizona tied it in the second on doubles by Troy Glaus and Shawn Green.

Notes: Cincinnati slugger Adam Dunn went 0-for-3, extending his slump to 4-for-24 (.167). … Ken Griffey Jr. went 2-for-4 and has 14 hits in his last 27 at-bats (.519). … Arizona’s Craig Counsell stole two bases to push his career best to 21. His previous high was 17 for Milwaukee last season. … Harang went 0-for-2, extending his streak of hitless at-bats to 49, the most in the majors since San Diego’s Andy Benes was 0-for-50 in 1991. … Clayton has reached base in 19 consecutive games.

AP-ES-08-20-05 2210EDT


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