RHP Tim Lincecum gets first loss since July

PHOENIX — The situation didn't look good for Arizona's already slim playoff hopes.

The Los Angeles Dodgers had won in the afternoon, and the Diamondbacks were facing brilliant young Tim Lincecum, who hadn't lost in two months.

Arizona defied the odds, though, beating former Husky Lincecum and the Giants 3-2 on Thursday night on Adam Dunn's two-out RBI single in the eighth inning.

"He's obviously one of, if not the best, pitchers in the league," Dunn said, "and for us to kind of grind and battle and battle and come away with the victory, that's huge."

Conor Jackson singled with two outs and stole second to set up Dunn's game-winning hit as the Diamondbacks swept four games from the Giants to stay 3 ½ games behind the first-place Dodgers in the NL West with 10 to play. The Dodgers won at Pittsburgh 4-3 in 12 innings.

Lincecum (17-4) was 6-0 in 10 starts since losing to Milwaukee 7-4 on July 20. He allowed three runs and six hits in his second straight complete game and second of his career. The 24-year-old right-hander, who attended Liberty High School of Renton, struck out six and hit a batter in his first loss in six appearances against Arizona.

The Giants are trying to help Lincecum win the Cy Young Award to brighten an otherwise difficult season. The loss came one night after Arizona's Brandon Webb beat San Francisco for his 21st victory.

"It's a sick feeling," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. "You want the kid to get a win so bad, and he pitched his heart out. We're having a tough time getting a hit with men on base. This is probably as tough a one as we've had all year."

Eugenio Velez misjudged Justin Upton's line shot to left for a two-run triple with two outs in the sixth to give Arizona a 2-1 lead. Stephen Drew had started the rally with a double, then took third on Augie Ojeda's sacrifice bunt. Jackson was hit by a pitch, then Dunn struck out to bring Upton to the plate.

Upton somehow got the bat on the ball on a changeup that was barely off the plate.

"When a guy swings at a pitch like that, you don't expect it to go as far as it did," Lincecum said. "I mean, that ball carried. From what I remember looking at it, that ball was practically on the ground and he barreled it up."

Upton's hit ended Lincecum's string of 14 scoreless innings. He was coming off the first shutout of his career, a 7-0 victory at San Diego.