Joe Saunders pitched 8 2/3 strong innings and Paul Goldschmidt drove in three runs as Arizona maintained its five-game lead in the National League West with a 5-1 victory in San Diego on Sunday afternoon.

The Diamondbacks had lost their previous three games, but kept their margin over San Francisco after the red-hot Giants won again earlier Sunday.

Saunders (12-12) gave up one unearned run, in the third inning after a throwing error by catcher Miguel Montero. He allowed just seven hits and collected three strikeouts and two walks en route to his third consecutive victory.

J.J. Putz retired the final batter after Saunders gave up back-to-back singles in the ninth.

The Diamondbacks tied the score at 1 in the fourth inning when Montero homered to center field against Aaron Harang (13-7), then pulled ahead in the sixth on Goldschmidt's leadoff home run. Goldschmidt added an RBI single during Arizona's two-run seventh and capped the scoring with a sacrifice fly in the ninth.

Harang scattered eight hits and three walks over six innings for San Diego, striking out three.