"The pitch was low and away. Chris Young, eager to make contact with runners on the corners, struck out swinging in the first inning.

He then got a hitting tip from an unlikely source - a teammate who has been struggling at the plate.

The advice from Justin Upton - don't lunge at the pitch or rush the swing - paid off: Young crushed a two-run home run to left-center field with two outs in the ninth inning to give the Diamondbacks a 7-5 victory over the Cardinals on Sunday in front of 23,922 at Chase Field.

"Honestly, I was talking to Justin in the first inning, and I felt terrible . . . he went into the video room, looked up something for me, and I tried to make an adjustment as the game went on.

"I felt all right, and it was good to be able to come through tonight," said Young, who also hit a solo homer in the fourth inning and doubled in the sixth.

The Diamondbacks were able to breathe a big sigh of relief after the dramatic finish that gave them a 6-4 mark on the homestand, but the questions surrounding closer Chad Qualls only intensified.

Called upon in the ninth to protect a 5-2 lead established by starter Edwin Jackson, Qualls was ineffective. He allowed a leadoff double, then bobbled a soft toss at first base from Adam LaRoche to trigger the St. Louis rally. Esmerling Vasquez entered the game and threw a wild pitch, and the game was tied.

This time, however, the Diamondbacks found a way to win a strange game.

With two away in the ninth, catcher Miguel Montero, making his first start after knee surgery earlier this season, singled to give Young the chance to win the game against reliever Kyle McClellan."