On D-backs reunion weekend, Overbay reprises 2001

PHOENIX Lyle Overbay was playing for Pittsburgh when he received the invitation to attend the reunion for the Diamondbacks' 2001 World Series team at Chase Field this weekend. Nice thought, he thought, but he had other games to play. "I'm like, 'Well, there's no chance I'm going to be there for that,'" Overbay said. "But, sure enough it was pretty funny." A release, an injury and a new team later, Overbay made it to the reunion, and he made it special. Overbay reprised 2001 with his two-out, tie-breaking single in the eighth inning as the D-backs increased their lead over San Francisco to 8 games in the NL West with a 3-2 victory over San Diego in Daniel Hudson's third complete game of the season. The D-backs (84-61) also tied Milwaukee in the loss column for the No. 2 playoff seed, a spot that if things remain as they are would guarantee both home field advantage and early avoidance of Philadelphia, which has the best record in baseball. The D-backs would win a tiebreaker with the Brewers because of a 4-3 edge in the season series. "We definitely want to be here to start the playoffs," said Hudson, 16-9. It had the feel of an Overbay night from the start. The lone player remaining from the 2001 team, he got his first start at first base since Aug. 30. And it must have seemed like the old days as a tribute to the 2001 team, the D-backs wore throwback uniforms, white sleeveless jerseys with thin purple pinstripes, the ones they wore in a 3-2 victory in Game 7 of that remarkable World Series victory over the New York Yankees. It is the first and only time they have shown that look since switching to Sedona red five years ago. Overbay, who had a bit part as a September callup in 2001, said it rekindled old memories. "It felt kind of weird. I felt kind of younger, I guess. I expected to be a Diamondback my whole career. How quickly things change," said Overbay, traded in a multi-player package to Milwaukee that brought Richie Sexson to the D-backs in 2004. "I haven't playoff race since, but to be able to get in that playoff atmosphere is great. When you've done it the first three years of your career, you kind of get used to it and think that it's going to happen every year, and it didn't. I've got to absorb everything I can and enjoy it, because I know it might not happen ever again." Overbay has had a hand in a couple of big victories since signing as a free agent the day after Xavier Nady suffered a broken hand Aug. 12. Overbay beat the Phillies' Roy Halladay on Aug. 16, driving in all three runs in a 3-2 victory, the big blow a two-run double with one out in the ninth. Lately, Overbay has been spending extra time in the batting coach with hitting coach Don Baylor while Paul Goldschmidt had settled in at first base, hitting seven home runs in his first six weeks in the majors. Overbay has made a swing adjustment to get quicker, and his line drive past Chad Qualls to drive in Aaron Hill in the eighth was a testament to his work in the cage. "The biggest thing is being short to the ball. My swing's been real long. Looking back through my season, it's been a big part of my struggles. I was kind of open and a lot of movement. It seems like I hadn't been able to get to the spot where I want to," he said. The work with Baylor has "helped out tremendously, because I'm not getting beat on fastballs like I was earlier. I haven't done that in so long. I've rolled over that pitch. Now I have that (good) feeling, and taking it to the game is a big step. I'm just trying to do what I can." Hudson trailed, 2-0, before the D-backs railed for their 41st comeback victory of the season, with Justin Upton homering in his third straight game to join Chris Young and Mark Reynolds as the other D-backs to have 30 homers and 20 stolen bases in the same season. Upton is at 30 and 20, but does not sound as if he is going to stop just yet. "The season isn't over," he said. Hudson extended his career high to 203 innings, one more than Ian Kennedy, and joined Kennedy (19-4) as the second pair of teammates in the majors this season with at least 16 victories. Philadelphia's Halladay (17-5) and Cliff Lee (16-7). Gibson had some fun with his starting pitcher before the eighth and ninth innings, asking devout gamer Hudson if he was too spent to continue while never actually meaning to take him out. Hudson had thrown only 83 pitches through seven innings and 93 through eight. After Jesus Guzman led off the ninth with a double and Nick Hundley grounded him to third, Hudson threw his best fastball of the night clocked at 94 mph up in the zone to strike out Kyle Blanks, then got the final batter to fly out. "He (Gibson) always tries to get under my skin. I wasn't coming out of that game, and he knew I wasn't coming out of that game," Hudson said. "Two hundred innings is pretty much the benchmark these days, so to get to that with three starts to spare is pretty cool." Follow Jack Magruder on Twitter