Uribe hits 2-run homer as Giants down D-backs

PHOENIX -- A member of the World Series champion Chicago White Sox in 2005, Juan Uribe is doing his best to get the San Francisco Giants into the postseason this year.

Uribe hit a two-run homer and had an RBI double in a 5-2 victory over Arizona on Wednesday night that let the Giants gain a game on NL wild card leader Colorado. The Giants remain tied with Atlanta, four games behind the Rockies with 10 games remaining.

Uribe's homer in the sixth inning gave the Giants a 3-0 lead, and was his ninth in the last 34 games since becoming an infield regular. He is hitting .339 with 22 RBIs in that span.

"With the way he is swinging the bat, he is doing most of the damage for us," San Francisco manager Bruce Bochy said. "What a job he's done for us. He's certainly making a statement."

Uribe was brief in what he's trying to do.

"Win the game, that's all I'm thinking right now," Uribe said.

Jonathan Sanchez (7-12) struck out nine while giving up two runs in 5 1/3 innings in his first victory since Aug. 21.

The Giants had lost four of their previous six games, when only one of their starting pitchers got through five innings. The rotation was 0-4 with an 11.41 ERA since Barry Zito beat Colorado 10-2 on Sept. 15.

"He saved us. It's nice to have someone stop it for us, and Sanchez was the guy. He gave us what we needed," Bochy said.

Brian Wilson struck out the side in the ninth inning for his 36th save, capping a night in which the bullpen threw 3 2/3 scoreless innings with seven strikeouts among their 11 outs. The Diamondbacks struck out a season-high 16 times.

San Francisco, which took two of three games to win the series, begins a seven-game homestand with the first game of a four-game series against Chicago on Thursday.

"We're still breathing. There's still hope. We got a little help," Bochy said. "We're running out of games, we know it. Right now we need to win ballgames. That's where we're at."

Arizona rookie Rusty Ryal broke up Sanchez's shutout bid with a one-out triple in the sixth after Miguel Montero led off the inning with a single.

Umpires used video replay to uphold the triple after Arizona manager A.J. Hinch argued for a home run.

Right-hander Bobby Howry replaced Sanchez and gave up a sacrifice fly to pinch-hitter Gerardo Parra to make it 3-2 before striking out Augie Ojeda to end the inning.

Sergio Romo, Jeremey Affledt and Wilson followed with a scoreless inning each.

Pablo Sandoval drove in one of two Giants' two unearned runs in the seventh to give the Giants a 5-2 lead. Pinch-hitter Fred Lewis walked with one out and took third on Andres Torres' two-out single before rookie first baseman Ryal mishandled Randy Winn's slow grounder for an error as Lewis scored.

Sandoval extended his hitting streak to eight games by lining a single to left to drive in Torres but was caught in a rundown between first and second to end the inning. Sandoval is 23 for 48 against Arizona this season, 19 for 36 at Chase Field.

Arizona has lost four of its last five and 14 of its last 19.

"There are times in our offense when strikeouts mount, pretty heavily and pretty high. We just never had an answer for Sanchez," Hinch said. "We got a little wild for our strike zone. We started swinging at the ball up a lot. It's a streaky bunch. We didn't have a ton of discipline."

Game notes
San Francisco 2B Freddy Sanchez will need surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee, Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. He added that the Giants will attempt to delay the surgery while they are in the playoff race. Sanchez was injured when he landed awkwardly while fielding a return throw from the outfield in the first inning of a 5-4 victory over Arizona on Monday. ... Arizona 3B Mark Reynolds is 4 for 19 with 12 strikeouts in his career against Sanchez after getting a single and striking out twice Wednesday.