San Francisco ? Rick Helling admits he doesn’t quite have the same stuff as fellow Arizona starters Curt Schilling or Randy Johnson.

“I’m not overpowering. I just can’t blow fastballs by them,” Helling said. “I have to rely on my location.”

San Francisco's Reggie Saunders, center, is caught in a rundown between Arizona shortstop Tony Womack, right, and second baseman Junior Spivey. The Diamondbacks won Thursday at San Francisco.

He was able to put the ball were he wanted it on Thursday when the Diamondbacks beat the San Francisco Giants 1-0. Helling allowed four hits in eight innings.

“Today was one of those days I had control,” he said.

Luis Gonzalez homered in the fourth inning, and that was enough to give the Diamondbacks a split of the four-game series between NL West rivals.

Byung-Hyun Kim pitched the ninth for his 13th save, and received help from his defense.

Pinch-hitter Tom Goodwin drew a leadoff walk from Kim and stole second. David Bell followed with a grounder to third baseman Craig Counsell, who got the out at first base. Goodwin tried to advance to third on the play, and was caught on Mark Grace’s throw back to shortstop Tony Womack.

Barry Bonds was then intentionally walked with two outs and none on, and Jeff Kent struck out looking to end it.

Helling improved to 5-5, and the Diamondbacks moved 21/2 games ahead of the Giants.

“He knew this was a big game for us to split the series and get out of town,” manager Bob Brenley said. “He made his pitches.”

Gonzalez’s home run came with one out in the fourth inning off Kirk Rueter (6-3). It sailed over the wall in right field and splashed into McCovey Cove.

It was Gonzalez’s second splash hit into the cove. He also homered over the right-field wall on Sept. 23, 2000. Overall, there have been just four such homers by opposing players at Pacific Bell Park. Todd Hundley and Grace have the others.

Gonzalez’s homer also snapped a season-high five-game homerless streak for the Diamondbacks.

“This was exciting,” Gonzalez said. “This was a nail-biter right until the end.”

Apart from the home run, Rueter had a strong outing, allowing one run on five hits in eight innings. He struck out four.

The closest the Giants could get was in the sixth, when Ramon Martinez singled, moved up on Rueter’s sacrifice bunt and took third on Shawon Dunston’s grounder. But Bell grounded out to end the inning.

“When you win 1-0 it’s a great ballagme,” Giants manager Dusty Baker said. “When you lose 1-0 then that’s what happened.”

Helling had allowed an NL-leading 15 homers in his first 10 starts, so it was expected to be a promising day for Bonds.

But Bonds went 0-for-3 against Helling, and remained one homer away from matching Frank Robinson in fourth place on the career list with 586.

Bonds has not homered since Monday, when he hit a solo shot off Arizona’s Brian Anderson in a 7-3 San Francisco win.

Bonds, who set the single-season record last season with 73 home runs, has 18 this season to match Chicago’s Sammy Sosa for the major-league lead.

Rockies 4, Padres 2

San Diego Greg Norton hit a grand slam in the first inning and Denny Neagle won for the first time in five starts as Colorado beat San Diego.

Neagle (4-2) allowed two hits and one run in five innings. He struck out six and walked five.

Jose Jimenez pitched the ninth for his 14th save in 14 chances, allowing an unearned run.

Norton homered into the right-field seats on the first pitch he saw from Bobby Jones, a 68-mph hanging curveball with one out in the first inning.

Jones (3-3) was activated from the disabled list before the game.

Cubs 9, Pirates 8

Pittsburgh Mark Bellhorn hit his first grand slam and Alex Gonzalez followed with a solo shot in a five-run Chicago third inning as the Cubs opened a seven-run lead, then held on to beat the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Chris Stynes added a two-run homer as the Cubs won their eighth in 12 games.

Kerry Wood (6-3) allowed five runs and eight hits in 5 1/3 innings after giving up four or fewer hits in each of his previous five starts.

Antonio Alfonseca earned his eighth save. Jimmy Anderson (4-7) took the loss.

Reds 4, Marlins 1

Miami Barry Larkin and Adam Dunn homered to help Cincinnati beat Florida, completing a three-game series sweep.

Cincinnati’s first two runs scored when right fielder Eric Owens dropped Larkin’s bases-loaded fly in the second inning. Larkin added his third homer in the seventh, and Dunn hit his 11th homer in the ninth.

Jimmy Haynes (5-5) took a shutout into the seventh for the Reds, who climbed a season-high 11 games above .500 and increased their lead to two games over second-place St. Louis in the NL Central. Danny Graves pitched a perfect ninth for his 17th save in 22 chances.

Rookie Kevin Olsen (0-3), who has yet to win in eight career starts, allowed only two earned runs in seven innings.

Braves 5, Expos 2

Atlanta Jason Marquis allowed only four hits in seven innings and Chipper Jones had three hits in his return to the Atlanta lineup, leading the Braves past Montreal.

Marquis (4-3) won for the third time in four starts since coming off the disabled list. Carl Pavano (3-6) lost for the fourth time in his last five decisions.

Keith Lockhart, Julio Franco, Vinny Castilla and Darren Bragg also had RBIs for Atlanta, which expects to bolster its offense tonight with the return of Gary Sheffield.