Diamondbacks defeat Angels, 7-6

Arizona 7, Angels 6
Tempe, Ariz.

AT THE PLATE: Juan Rivera lined a two-run shot over the left-field wall in the fifth inning for his first spring homer, Howie Kendrick knocked in runs with a double in the first inning and a single in the second, and leadoff batter Maicer Izturis tripled, singled and drove in a run. Kendrick is now batting .346 (nine for 26) with seven runs batted in this spring.

ON THE MOUND: Joe Saunders said he threw more quality strikes with his off-speed pitches during a four-inning stint in which the left-hander gave up one run and five hits, walked two and struck out none. “My arm felt awesome,” said Saunders, who gave up four runs and five hits in 1 2/3 innings in his first start last Friday. “I felt good, and the command was there for the most part.” Reliever Matt Palmer was roughed up for four runs and seven hits in 2 2/3 innings.

EXTRA BASES: Francisco Rodriguez, the minor league right-hander with the same name as the former Angels closer, struck out Evan Frey on a full-count pitch with the bases loaded to end the seventh inning. … Erick Aybar, unable to play shortstop because of forearm tightness, was hitless in two at-bats as designated hitter.

UP NEXT:The Angels are off Thursday but will resume Cactus League action Friday when Joel Pineiro opposes Milwaukee’s Jeff Suppan in a 1 p.m. game in Phoenix.

-- Mike DiGiovanna