Diamondbacks Still Searching for Win

With all of the teams bemoaning winless starts to the season (see Dodgers, New York Yankees), Arizona probably has the best excuse.

After all, it’s the Diamondbacks’ first season.

But that doesn’t make it any easier.

Arizona was separated from win No. 1 when Brian Johnson hit a two-run homer in a four-run seventh inning on Saturday that gave San Francisco a 5-3 victory.

“It seems like we had this one, but the home run killed us,” Devon White said. “Sometimes the start of the season is tough, but this is a hard pill to swallow. This is one we let get away.”

While the Dodgers close in on a record for the worst start in Los Angeles history, and the Yankees close in on their worst start under George Steinbrenner, the Diamondbacks can ponder more cosmic things. They are 0-5, and the worst start by an expansion team was that of the 1962 New York Mets, who went 0-9 en route to a 40-120 season.

Still, Arizona Manager Buck Showalter isn’t overly concerned.

“We critique ourselves constantly, but I don’t think it’s helping our young players to have me talking about it,” he said. “It’s not something we have to call a meeting and talk to them about.”

Johnson homered and Rich Aurilia had an RBI single in the seventh inning, when the Giants overcame a 3-1 deficit.

Danny Darwin (1-0) gave up three runs and five hits in six innings. He gave up a three-run homer to Jay Bell in the third that gave Arizona a 3-0 lead.

“Danny kept us right there,” Giant Manager Dusty Baker said. “He made one mistake, but he kept his composure from there.”

But Darwin, part of San Francisco’s geriatric pitching staff, showed his 42 years, being hit in the midsection by White’s line drive on his first pitch and being drilled on the left knee with a pitch by Arizona starter Joel Adamson in the third.

Robb Nen pitched the ninth inning for his first save.

J.T. Snow led off San Francisco’s seventh with a single and Johnson followed with a homer that barely cleared the left-field fence to tie the score, 3-3.

Gregg Olson (0-1) replaced Adamson and walked pinch-hitter Rey Sanchez. A groundout moved Sanchez to second and he scored on Aurilia’s single. After Barry Bonds walked, Jeff Kent singled and Aurilia scored on Charlie Hayes’ grounder to second.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

NEXT SERIES FOR DODGERS

WHO: Arizona

WHERE: Dodger Stadium

WHEN: Tuesday, 1 p.m.

Wednesday, 7:30 p.m.

Thursday, 7 p.m.