Zach Duke pitched six-plus quality innings, Luis Rivas was a catalyst atop the order, and heated words between Doug Mientkiewicz and Randy Johnson briefly emptied the benches in the Pirates' highly charged 5-3 victory against the Arizona Diamondbacks before 10,717 this afternoon at PNC Park.

Matt Capps closed it off with a 1-2-3 ninth inning for his 15th save in as many opportunities, his second in as many days, to secure a split of the four-game series.

"It was a great game for our whole team," Mientkiewicz said. "Look at this, and look at all the guys who contributed. These were four tough games, and we had to work like that in every one of them."

Duke was the standout, limiting Arizona to two runs on five hits, staying cool even as much flared around him. Emotions ran high on another steamy day, with a first-pitch temperature of 87 degrees, and it showed in many ways.

That reach a peak in the third inning.

Mientkiewicz led off the Pirates' third and, after a 1-1 fastball at the torso backed him off the plate, he stepped out. He stepped back in but, as Johnson entered his motion, was granted time and stepped out again.

Once Mientkiewicz was back in the box, he and Johnson began jawing at each other, then moved toward each other. Immediately, the benches and bullpens emptied for some mingling, but without further incident.

"It's really not the storyline. It didn't bother me at all," Johnson said. "If it would have, he'd probably be in a stretcher, and I'd probably be out of the game."

So, what happened?

"I don't know what was going on at home plate," Johnson continued. "He stepped out the first time, and there was no problem, and then said something to [Arizona catcher Miguel Montero] when he was stepping back in and then he looked at me and stepped out again. I'm not really sure what was going on there, the whole thing."

Mientkiewicz also tried to downplay the matter.

"I just wanted to get set in the box," Mientkiewicz said. "I don't get many at-bats, and I want to make the most of them. But I also understand that he's going through the delivery there."

Mientkiewicz seemed not to want to talk much about the matter, but he did express appreciation for his teammates' quick response.

"That doesn't surprise me at all," he said. "This is a tight group, a feisty group. We want to get better. We want to earn respect. And the only way to do it is to win games and stay together. It would have shocked me more if everybody wasn't out there for me. We're tired of losing. We're tired of it. We feel like our record should be better than it is now."

The Pirates are 31-33.

Mientkiewicz wound up walking in that at-bat, and it appeared momentarily as if Johnson might have been rattled when he failed to glove Jose Bautista's comebacker for an error. Montero botched Duke's bunt attempt, and bases were loaded. Rivas drew a walk, and the Pirates were ahead, 1-0.

But, if Johnson had been rattled at all, it did not last: He put down the next three hitters without a run.

There was an earlier flare-up in the second inning.

Arizona's Mark Reynolds, fresh off two home runs Sunday, appeared to hit another when his drive toward the top of the Clemente Wall was caught by a fan leaning over the tallest portion of railing. First base umpire Rob Drake twirled his finger to signal a home run.

But Pirates manager John Russell emerged from the dugout and succeeded in getting all four umpires to confer. Once they did, umpire crew chief Jeff Kellogg ruled it a double -- based on the assumption that the ball would have struck the glass pane below the railing had the fan not interfered -- and ordered Reynolds back to second base.

"Give them credit," Russell said. "They made the right call."

It was Diamondbacks manager Bob Melvin's turn to leave the dugout. He engaged Kellogg in a spirited argument and, within a minute, was ejected.

"The first base umpire is closest to the play, and my opinion was that he got it right," Melvin said. "I don't know why they overturned it."

Reynolds tried for another home run in the Arizona fourth and, this time, pulled it off. His line drive into the seats beyond right-center caromed off a fan's glove but was immediately given the twirl of second base umpire Chad Fairchild's finger, and the score was tied.

The Pirates got right back to chipping at Johnson in the fourth.

After one out, Jason Michaels drew a 10-pitch walk, took third on Mientkiewicz's single and scored on Bautista's sacrifice fly.

Jack Wilson opened the fifth with a walk, stole second and, two outs later, scored on Xavier Nady's single to make it 3-1.

There was more frustration for Johnson in the sixth, which Mientkiewicz started with another walk. Jose Bautista's infield single and an error put men at second third. Rivas' shot through the left side scored one run, but Bautista was thrown out at the plate.

Rivas, spelling Freddy Sanchez at second base and batting leadoff for the first time, reached base three times in four plate appearances, with two singles and a walk, and had two RBIs.

"It was a great feeling to contribute like that," Rivas said.

That was it for Johnson, who exited with a line of five runs and seven hits in 5 2/3 innings.

Wilson greeted reliever Juan Cruz with an RBI single to right, and it was 5-1.

Arizona crept back: Back-to-back doubles and a walk chased Duke in the seventh, and made it 5-2. Stephen Drew's solo home run off Damaso Marte in the eighth made it 5-3.

Tyler Yates had bases loaded in the eighth but fanned Montero for the third out. Montero struck out all four times up.

More details in tomorrow's Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.