DENVER -- Craig Counsell spent his Saturday night at the hospital in Denver, getting X-rayed after being nailed in the knee while trying to extend the D-Backs' three-run third inning. On Sunday afternoon, he came back to Coors Field, and when the umpire called, "Play ball!", Mr. Counsell went to town.

Back in the lineup with a bone bruise, Counsell wasted no time getting in the groove, leading off the first inning with a double to left and scoring the game's first run on a Luis Gonzalez grounder to short.

"He's the table-setter here," said manager Bob Melvin. "He's the guy that everything revolves around. That's why we have him as a leadoff guy."

Later in the game, Counsell broke a 3-3 tie in the seventh with his first home run since last July, a solo shot on a full count that chased Rockies starter Jason Jennings (1-5) from the game and pushed the D-Backs toward their eventual 5-4 victory.

Counsell had gone 360 at-bats since his last home run, and he predicted, "It's going to be a while again" before he hits another.

Call it "clutch." Call it "timely." But call it Counsell. He has a knack for picking spots, and the D-Backs have learned to count on him, in the field and at the plate.

"Number one, he has a flair for the semi-dramatic," explained Melvin, "and, number two, he has a great awareness of where the game is and what needs to be done."

Counsell sparked an offense led by infielders, joining with shortstop Royce Clayton and third baseman Alex Cintron to go a collective 6-for-13 with four of the team's five RBIs. Cintron contributed to the sixth inning rally that tied the game and knocked in an insurance run in the eighth with a double; Clayton hit a game-tying double with two outs in the sixth.

"I can't minimize the importance of Royce Clayton in this game," Melvin said. "Not only defensively, but he came up with a big hit."

When the infielders weren't knocking in runs, the middle of the order was setting the table, with Gonzalez, Jose Cruz Jr. and Shawn Green walking a combined four times and scoring on three of the walks.

"You want to put as few people on in this park as you can," Melvin said of the walks his team used to their advantage. "This park can jump up and grab you when you put somebody on base, because the gaps get a little bit bigger, doubles always seem to get to the wall and runs score from first base."

Arizona also used the sharpness of starter Shawn Estes (4-3) to their advantage, benefiting from his quality start of six innings with only three runs on three hits.

"I didn't feel real strong early," Estes said, despite retiring the first seven batters he faced. "My fastball wasn't up there where I wanted it to be, but I was able to keep them off-balance early. The first two innings, I felt the worst and I had the best success. Then I started to feel like I got loose and got my fastball going and got my curveball going, and they got a couple runs off me. It's a funny game that way."

Estes gave up a solo home run to Garrett Atkins in the third and a pair of runs after walking the leadoff runner in the fourth, his only walk of the game. Oddly enough, Todd Helton, 7-for-10 in the series with a pair of homers going into the game, followed that walk by putting down his first bunt in three and a half years.

"I want to thank Helton for bunting there," said a relieved Estes. "That was nice of him. It caught us all by surprise."

After the runs scored in the fourth, Estes retired six of the final eight batters he faced before being lifted in the top of the seventh for a pinch hitter.

Lance Cormier pitched a scoreless seventh in relief of Estes, extending his season-opening scoreless streak to 18 innings, which tied him with Curt Schilling for the franchise record, before yielding a run in the eighth.

Brian Bruney got his second save of the season, pitching the ninth while closer Brandon Lyon remained on the bench with minor tendinitis.

"I was staying away from [Lyon] today, said Melvin. "I've used him so much, I feel like he needs some rest. It's not an easy thing to do, when you have a one-run lead going into the ninth inning, not to use the guy that's got more saves than anybody in the National League, but I felt like we had to do that."

Bruney didn't make it look easy. After retiring the first batter he faced, he walked Atkins and gave up a single to Desi Relaford, putting the tying run at second with rookie sensation Clint Barmes, leading the Majors at .389 with seven home runs and 24 RBI, coming to the plate.

"I never doubted it," Bruney said of his ability to get the job done. "They were still a base hit away. I felt in my mind that I could get Barmes out for two outs and then I'd be facing Aaron Miles, and I've had pretty good success against Aaron in the past. He's a great hitter, but I feel like I can get that guy out. I wasn't worried at all."

The win moved Arizona a game ahead of Los Angeles into first place in the National League West, and the evenly divided production from all corners of the roster spoke to the kind of success the Diamondbacks have in their sights.

"Any good team has to have contributions from a lot of people," said Counsell. "That's how you win. That's why you're a good team. You're not a good team because you got one or two good players. You're a good team because everybody contributes to the wins."