Kent, Giants Unload on Diamondbacks for Only Their Second Win in 11 Games

Jeff Kent drove in five runs with a bases-loaded double, a solo home run and an RBI single Friday night as the San Francisco Giants routed the Arizona Diamondbacks, 11-5, for only their second victory in 11 games.

Marvin Benard hit a three-run homer and got a fourth RBI when reliever Russ Springer walked him with the bases loaded. Bill Mueller added a solo homer for San Francisco and starter Russ Ortiz (2-2) helped his cause with a single and a double.

In the opener of a three-game series, the Giants scored seven runs against Todd Stottlemyre (3-1) in 3 2/3 innings. Five Arizona pitchers gave up 16 hits and walked nine.

Kelly Stinnett, who hit two homers against Ortiz on April 15 in Arizona’s 7-4 victory at San Francisco, hit another one against him in the second inning, a 438-foot drive to left. Jay Bell also homered against Ortiz leading off the seventh.

Ortiz gave up four runs and 10 hits in seven innings. He struck out five and walked four, including a bases-loaded walk of Andy Fox in the sixth. Arizona stranded 11 runners, leaving the bases loaded in the first and sixth.

The Giants, off to their worst start since 1983, scored three apiece in the third and fourth innings while stopping Arizona’s three-game winning streak.

Ortiz led off the third with a single, then Benard walked. They advanced on Mueller’s sacrifice, then Stottlemyre loaded the bases by walking Barry Bonds. Kent doubled to deep center to clear the bases and make the score 4-1.

In the fourth, Rich Aurilia singled with one out and Ortiz hit a ground-rule double with two outs to put runners at second and third, then Bernard homered to right field to make the score 7-1.

Kent led off the fifth with a homer, then J.T. Snow reached base on an error by Erubiel Durazo. Springer got two outs, then walked Doug Mirabelli, Ortiz and Benard to make the score 9-1.

If the Giants had lost, their 4-12 start would have been their worst since 1951, the year of their miracle comeback to win the pennant on Bobby Thomson’s “Shot Heard ‘Round the World.”

The crowd of 40,929 was Arizona’s second-largest of the season.

Arizona’s Tony Womack, who missed Monday’s game to attend the funeral of his grandmother, will miss Sunday’s series finale to attend the funeral of his father-in-law.