Dunn’s homer in 8th lifts D-Backs past Giants

When the Diamondbacks acquired Adam Dunn on Aug. 11, manager Bob Melvin took Dunn aside and told him not to feel as if he had to do it all for a struggling offense. “Just be yourself” was the message.

Dunn was his long-ball self Monday at Chase Field, hitting a two-out, two-run home run in the eighth inning to break a 1-1 tie in the D-Backs’ 3-1 victory over San Francisco, the team that sent the ceiling crashing in on the D-Backs last week.

Melvin staying despite slump

So after two extra-inning losses in which the D-Backs scored three runs and left 30 runners on base, they found the missing hit from the man acquired to provide it.

“The last couple of days, he might have been pressing a little bit,” Melvin said. “He knows why he was brought in here.”

Dunn turned on a first-pitch fastball from Giants starter Brad Hennessey to drive in Chris Young, who singled to open the eighth, and make a winner of Tony Pena after Doug Davis gave up just one unearned run in seven innings.

Dunn left eight runners on base Saturday and Sunday, hitting into two double plays, although he did drive in the D-Backs’ only run when he was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded Sunday.

“That’s something, for me personally, I haven’t done very well with, driving in runs,” said Dunn, who has five homers and 19 RBIs in 31 games with the D-Backs.

He made it clear, though, that pressure had nothing to do with it.

“That’s a cop-out. I always put a lot of pressure on myself, whether it is baseball or fishing,” Dunn said. “I know I have to do better. I know what I have to do. Nobody expects more of me than me. It’s a stupid cliché, but it’s true.”

The D-Backs (73-76) remained 4 1/2 games behind Los Angeles in the NL West. The Dodgers beat Pittsburgh 8-2, a game that was over by the time the D-Backs batted in the second inning.

“I think we’ve been watching that too much,” Davis said of eyeing the scoreboard for word of the Dodgers.

“It makes you press. If they’re winning, you’re trying too hard. That can lead to mistakes, striking out and trying to do too much.”

Davis gave up eight hits and did not walk a batter, striking out two. The Giants’ only run came across when center fielder Chris Young dropped a two-out fly ball, allowing a runner to score from first.

Justin Upton tied the game with a homer in the fourth. He has eight hits in his last three games.

Davis understands that the D-Backs’ task, while not easy, is doable.

“It’s been done before. You saw the Rockies last year,”’ Davis said.

“Come out, get our bats hot and have an April.”