PHOENIX -- The Arizona Diamondbacks are learning to live on the edge.

Tony Clark had an RBI single, Shawn Green hit a go-ahead sacrifice fly and the Diamondbacks rallied for a 2-1 victory over the Detroit Tigers on Friday night in their major league-high 27th one-run game.

"We put together a string of hits and good at-bats at one time -- enough to sneak two runs across," Clark said. "We didn't have too many opportunities."

Shawn Estes worked 6 1/3 effective innings, allowing one run and six hits to help the Diamondbacks win for the third time in four games since snapping a five-game losing streak.

Estes (6-5) had complete games in his last two starts but lost a 3-2 decision Sunday at Cleveland. This time, he helped the team improve to 16-11 in one-run games.

"It's a lot easier to take when we win those games," Estes said. "I was pretty happy with the way things went. I didn't feel like I threw as many pitches as I did (103)."

Greg Aquino finished the seventh inning for Estes, getting the last two outs after a sacrifice bunt moved Nook Logan to second. Aquino caught Logan trying to steal third and ran him down without an assist, then struck out Brandon Inge.

Jose Valverde worked a scoreless eighth and Brian Bruney pitched the ninth for his eighth save in 11 opportunities.

Mike Maroth (5-8) had a run-scoring single for Detroit and gave up two unearned runs and seven hits in 6 2/3 innings. It was his sixth loss in eight starts.

Arizona's sixth-inning rally began with Royce Clayton's one-out, broken-bat single up the middle.

Luis Gonzalez followed with a deep grounder to second baseman Placido Polanco, who reversed his momentum and threw toward second for the forceout. But second base umpire Bill Welke ruled the throw pulled shortstop Omar Infante off the bag, ending Polanco's streak of errorless chances at 416. His last error was on Aug. 3, 2004.

Detroit manager Alan Trammell charged out to argue, and Welke ejected him. Maroth, his rhythm thrown off by the delay, walked Troy Glaus to load the bases, and Clark hit a sizzling one-hopper that tore through third basemen Inge's glove for an RBI.

"I was going in to try and distract (Infante) from turning the double play, and I guess the throw pulled him off," Clayton said. "I don't know why he came off the bag early, but from my vantage point sliding in, he wasn't really around the bag."

Green followed with a long fly to center field to make it 2-1.

"That was big," Trammell said. "It was huge. You never know what's going to happen, but arguably (Gonzalez) could have been out at first base too. But the play at second ... there was no question he was out. I'm normally more mild-mannered, but I was upset."

Maroth also thought his infield had a double play, but said he tried to shake it off.

"It was a close game, but, I mean, umpires are going to make their call," Maroth said. "It's one of the things about this game. You've got human error in there."

Estes had allowed just one hit and three baserunners until Craig Monroe led off the fifth with a single.

Two outs later, Maroth lined an opposite-field single to left, and Monroe scored from second. Inge beat out an infield hit, but Estes escaped further damage when Polanco flied out.

Arizona manager Bob Melvin said Estes was having back spasms, which figured in his decision to pull the starter.

"I knew he was struggling a little bit when he missed like he did with two pitches, as far as he did," Melvin said. "I was just a little bit concerned about it."

Notes: Arizona State coach Pat Murphy and his College World Series semifinalists threw out simultaneous first pitches. Arizona 2B Craig Counsell, who played for Murphy at Notre Dame, caught the ball from his former coach. ... Maroth picked up his first major-league win in Phoenix, beating the Diamondbacks 6-3 on June 14, 2002. ... Gonzalez extended his hitting streak to eight games with a fourth-inning single. ... Polanco, playing in his 13th game since the Tigers acquired him from Philadelphia, had handled 204 chances this season. ... Former Baywatch star David Hasselhoff watched the game from the Diamondbacks' executive seats.