SAN FRANCISCO — Backup center fielder Tony Campana and shortstop Cliff Pennington weren’t high on the list of potential heroes Thursday night for the Arizona Diamondbacks when they made rare starts against the San Francisco Giants.
They turned out to be the stars, teaming up to lift Arizona to a 6-5 victory in 10 innings at AT&T Park.
Campana snapped a 5-5 tie with an RBI single in the top of the 10th, driving in Pennington from second base with the go-ahead run.
Campana went 4-for-6, while Pennington went 3-for-5 with two RBIs.
“They’re not rookies, and they prepare themselves properly,” Diamondbacks manager Kirk Gibson said. “They’ve got great attitudes, and I gave them a heads-up a day earlier. They were ready to play tonight. They brought it. They did an excellent job.”
Pennington started the rally with a one-out single off right-hander Yusmeiro Petit, the Giants’ seventh and last available reliever. With two outs and Campana up, Pennington stole second, and he raced home when Campana lined a soft single to right, just out of the reach of second baseman Brandon Hicks.
“I was really happy when Penny got to second because I’m not a guy who can put a ball in the gap and have him score from first,” Campana said. “It took some pressure off once he got to second. I knew I just had to get it through the infield somehow. Got jammed and got (it) over his head barely.”
The Diamondbacks beat the Giants for the second straight game and won the series, taking two of three.
Right-hander Addison Reed, Arizona’s seventh pitcher of the night, threw a scoreless 10th to earn his third save of the season. Right-hander J.J. Putz (1-0) got the win by throwing a scoreless ninth inning. Petit (0-1) took the loss.
Giants left fielder Michael Morse went 2-for-4 with two doubles, drove in two and scored once. Catcher Buster Posey went 2-for-5, scored a run and drove in one on a drag bunt single that surprised the Diamondbacks in the third.
“It was a tough game,” Morse said. “They wanted it just as bad as we did. It was like a boxing match. We both kept pressing.”
The Giants overcame an early 4-1 deficit and moved ahead 5-4 on Morse’s two-run double in the bottom of the fifth.
San Francisco escaped a bases-loaded jam in the seventh, but Arizona pulled even in the eighth with an unearned run off right-hander Santiago Casilla. With two out and runners on first and second, Campana hit a slow two-hopper to third baseman Pablo Sandoval, who airmailed an ill-advised throw over first baseman Brandon Belt’s head and into the stands. Right fielder Gerardo Parra came home with the tying run.
“You have to keep your poise,” Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. “He got in a rush mode there. With the game on the line, you have to be a bit more cautious. You have to know the situation.”
Campana, who was credited with an infield single, put pressure on Sandoval with his speed, Gibson said.
“That’s what happens when you’ve got speed like that,” Gibson said. “You got to rush it. He threw it away and got us a run. I think we had guys on third and less than two outs in the fifth, sixth and seventh. That pressure play by Tony got it done in the eighth, got us the tying run. Just a great game from everybody tonight.”
The Giants loaded the bases with one out in the eighth, but Arizona left-hander Joe Thatcher retired Belt on a fly ball to shallow left and Sandoval on a fly ball to deep right.
Giants closer Sergio Romo, making his first appearance since April 2 against Arizona, pitched a scoreless ninth, and Putz answered with a 1-2-3 frame in the bottom of the inning.
Giants starter Ryan Vogelsong allowed four runs on seven hits in five-plus innings. He struck out five and walked one.
“He could have caved in, but he did rally and got us into the sixth inning,” Bochy said. “We got down 4-1, and I’m sure that had be frustrating for him. He regrouped and threw the ball decent.”
Arizona right-hander Randall Delgado lasted only 3 1/3 innings in his second rough start of the season, putting his spot in the rotation in further jeopardy. He allowed three runs on six hits while walking three and striking out none.
Arizona scored twice in the top of the second inning, grabbing a 2-0 lead. With one out, Vogelsong hit catcher Miguel Montero with a pitch and then walked left fielder Mark Trumbo. Parra singled to left, loading the bases. Pennington lined a two-run single to left, driving in Montero and Trumbo.
The Giants answered with a run in second off Delgado. Right fielder Hunter Pence hit a one-out double down the left field line and scored on Hicks’ two-out single.
The Diamondbacks struck for two more runs in the third. First baseman Paul Goldschmidt doubled off the right field wall with one out and moved to third on third baseman Martin Prado’s single. Montero brought them both home with a double to right-center.
NOTES: Arizona 1B Paul Goldschmidt doubled in the third inning, reaching base for the 31st straight game. That streak is tied for the fourth longest in team history. … Giants CF Angel Pagan extended his hitting streak to 10 games with a third-inning single. … The Colorado Rockies visit AT&T Park for a weekend series beginning Friday. … The Diamondbacks return home to face the Los Angeles Dodgers this weekend.