Giambi comes up with big hit again

Jason Giambi hit a home run for the second consecutive game and Ubaldo Jimenez outpitched Dan Haren to help the Colorado Rockies defeat the Arizona Diamondbacks, 5-1, on Sunday.

The Rockies expanded their National League wild-card lead to 4 1/2 games over San Francisco. Colorado remained five games behind the first-place Dodgers in the NL West.

Giambi, who had a three-run, pinch-hit home run in the ninth inning of Colorado’s 10-4 victory Saturday night, hit a two-run shot against Haren in the eighth inning. Giambi has driven in 11 runs in 12 games since joining the Rockies.

Jimenez (14-11) gave up a run and five hits through seven innings, struck out eight and walked three.

After a tough start, Colorado won two of three in Arizona to finish its trip 4-5.

Haren (14-9), who drove in Arizona’s run with a second-inning single, retired the first 12 batters he faced and had a two-hit shutout until the Rockies scored three runs in the seventh inning, the last run on a suicide squeeze by Clint Barmes.