Giants' Petit gets second straight victory

PHOENIX -- Yusmeiro Petit is a different pitcher from the one the Diamondbacks had for three seasons. But Hunter Pence looks like the same old hitter.

Petit struck out a career-high 10 batters in six-plus innings to help the San Francisco Giants beat Arizona 8-2 on Sunday.

It was Petit's second victory in the last six days, and those represent his first two major league victories since 2009, the last of his three seasons in Arizona.

"Experience," Petit said through an interpreter. "Before I wasn't consistent with what I was doing. Now the experience is taking place in what I'm showing right now.''

Pence, meanwhile, extended his hitting streak to nine games with three hits, finishing a triple short of the cycle while driving in two runs and scoring three. He was 7-for-12 in the series.

"We had a good ball game, offensively. Some really clutch hits. Petit, once again, just outstanding. Phenomenal. That really gives you an opportunity as an offense, when you are getting back in the dugout (quickly). Our offense is swinging the bats pretty well," Pence said, dismissing questions about his hot streak.

Pence hit his 17th home run of the season in the fifth inning off D-backs starter Patrick Corbin (13-5), who has lost four of his last five decisions and has given up 13 earned runs over 10 1/3 innings in his last two starts.

"I feel fine. I know it's baseball. It's tough. It can be as good as it can get and as bad just as fast," said Corbin, who made his first All-Start appearance this season. "The last two games, I just haven't been as sharp. I just wasn't really locating. Left some pitches up. I wasn't executing my pitches that well today."

Petit (2-0) gave up seven hits in six-plus innings. He struck out the side in the first two innings and had nine strikeouts by the fourth, surpassing his previous high of eight set when he was with Arizona in 2009. He had six strikeouts in a 5-3 victory in Colorado on Tuesday.

"It's another great start for him in two tough ballparks, Colorado and here," San Francisco manager Bruce Bochy said. "Great command, was hitting his spots, had stuff, mixed it up. He's got some savvy out there. He knows what he's doing."

Bochy said Petit, who turns 29 on Sept. 9, could be a candidate for a rotation spot in 2014.

"It's hard to answer right now," Bochy said. "He's doing what he needs to do and that's make some noise. You get two starts like this in these two parks it shows he knows what he's doing out there. He can pitch.''

Buster Posey had three hits, including a two-run double in the ninth inning, when he scored on Pence's single. Pence also walked and scored in the second inning and doubled and scored in a three-run fourth.

Hector Sanchez had two hits and three RBIs, and his two-run double in the fourth inning gave the Giants a 3-1 lead. Petit singled in the final run of the inning, his fourth hit in 70 career at-bats.

"Got a big hit, too, so a great day for him," Bochy said.

Martin Prado, who led the National League with 43 hits and 30 RBIs in August, had two hits and doubled in the D-backs' first run in the first inning.

Adam Eaton had two singles and a walk, and his RBI single in the seventh inning made it 5-2. Reliever Santiago Casilla got NL RBI leader Paul Goldschmidt on a fly ball to deep center field to end the inning with two runners on.

Pablo Sandoval had two hits for San Francisco (61-75), which has won five of its last eight games.

Willie Bloomquist had two hits for Arizona (69-66), which has lost three of its last four and seven of its last 11. The D-backs are six games behind Cincinnati with 27 games remaining in the race for the second NL wild card berth.

NOTES: San Francisco has won the last four series against the D-backs this season and five straight series at Chase Field. The teams play one more series this season, a four-game set that begins Thursday at AT&T Park. ... The Giants reinstated IF Tony Abreu from the disabled list and recalled him from Triple-A Fresno when rosters expanded Sunday. ... Arizona promoted RHP David Hernandez and LHP Tony Sipp from Triple-A Reno. Hernandez gave up one earned run in 9 2/3 innings at Reno, and Sipp gave up an unearned run in 10 innings. Sipp pitched a scoreless inning Sunday.