Hudson hits tiebreaking homer for D-Backs' fifth straight win

Diamondbacks 3, Reds 2

PHOENIX (AP) -- Orlando Hudson had an interesting explanation for his tiebreaking, eighth-inning home run Monday night.

"The baseball gods happened to be circling around out there," said Hudson, whose shot off Cincinnati reliever Kirk Saarloos (0-1) gave Arizona a 3-2 victory.

They are smiling on the Diamondbacks, who rallied from a 2-0 sixth-inning deficit to win their fifth straight. The first four wins in the streak came against the lowly Washington Nationals. But on Monday night the Diamondbacks mounted a comeback against Reds starter Bronson Arroyo, who dominated them over the first five innings.

"We don't die," manager Bob Melvin said. "We keep grinding. We expect good things to happen."

Brandon Lyon (1-0) pitched a scoreless eighth inning, retiring Alex Gonzalez on a liner to center field to leave the bases loaded, and Jose Valverde got three outs for his fourth save in five opportunities. Brandon Phillips flew out to the warning track in left with a runner on first for the final out of the game.

Hudson set up the save situation by breaking a 2-2 tie with two out in the eighth. Batting left-handed, the switch-hitting Hudson hit a 2-1 pitch 389 feet into the left-field seats.

Hudson hits third in Melvin's lineup, but with 52 home runs in 627 major league games, he's hardly a prototypical power hitter. The shot off Saarloos (0-1) was his second in eight games this year.

"Power? Look at me," he said, motioning to his svelte 185-pound frame. "It's not expected of me. I'm not Chipper Jones. I'm not David Ortiz."

Saarloos said he threw a changeup that didn't move.

"It was a good pitch to hit and he did what he was supposed to do with it," Saarloos said.

The Diamondbacks won it with the long ball. But they got back in the game with small ball.

Arizona trailed 2-0 in the sixth and had barely touched Arroyo when pinch-hitter Robby Hammock doubled. He took third on Stephen Drew's flyout and scored on Alberto Callaspo's grounder.

The Diamondbacks tied it at 2 one inning later. Chad Tracy led off with a double, went to third on Scott Hairston's sacrifice bunt and scored on Chris Snyder's sacrifice fly.

Hairston's sacrifice was his third in 133 big league games and first since 2004.

"It's probably been three or four years, but if they ask you, you do it," he said.

Arroyo coasted through the first four innings, allowing only a walk to opposing pitcher Doug Davis. Arroyo didn't give up a hit until Conor Jackson's one-out single to center in the fifth.

Arroyo allowed two runs and four hits in seven innings. He struck out four and walked two over 103 pitches. Those are usually the sort of numbers that result in a victory.

"It's one of those games you hate to see slip away," Arroyo said. "I weathered the storm twice, but they got the guy on base, got him over and did what they had to do to tie the game."

Unlike Arroyo, Davis worked out of trouble for much of the night in his first home start as a Diamondback. He allowed runners in each of his first five innings but gave up only two runs.

The Reds took a 1-0 lead in the second when Jeff Conine doubled and scored on a single by Gonzalez.

Cincinnati made it 2-0 in the fourth on David Ross' sacrifice fly to shallow right field.

Davis gave up two earned runs and five hits in six innings. He walked three and struck out four.

"We had some great chances against Doug Davis," Cincinnati manager Jerry Narron said. "We got his pitch count up. We just couldn't get any big hits off him."

Game notes
Gonzalez's single in the second extended his hitting streak to five games. He went 2-for-3. ... The Diamondbacks improved to 4-6 in home openers. ... Arizona Sen. John McCain attended the game and sat with Diamondbacks general partner Jeff Moorad. ... The Reds were happy to be in the 81-degree warmth of the desert after playing their last five games in 30-degree temperatures in Cincinnati.