Rowand plays with pain, helps deal D'backs agony

SAN FRANCISCO -- The San Francisco Giants admired Aaron Rowand's determination to play through pain. It's one of the reasons they signed him to a five-year, $60 million contract.

Of course, they'd rather that Rowand be the picture of health.

In his first homestand as a Giant, Rowand has looked more like the subject of a Tylenol commercial. He returned to the lineup Monday night after missing the weekend with a banged-up rib cage, and he grimaced whenever he moved on the field.

That included a wall-bumping catch in center field and a critical takeout slide at second base in a come-from-behind 5-4 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Randy Johnson started for the first time since June 28 and stood to win after holding the Giants to three runs, all unearned, in five innings. But shortstop Stephen Drew's error set up a two-run Giants rally in the seventh inning.

After Rowand's barrel-roll slide broke up a double play, Bengie Molina hit a sacrifice fly that scored Eugenio Velez with the go- ahead run, and the Giants got off to a strong start in their season series with the defending NL West champs.

Much was made of Arizona's winning the NL West last season despite scoring fewer runs than it allowed. Diamondbacks players grew weary when asked about it down the stretch.

This year, they've been playing as if

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