Chicago right fielder Mark DeRosa leaps but cannot grab the home run ball hit by the D-backs' Alex Romero.

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PHOENIX — Alex Romero, the rookie, made sure Randy Johnson, the grizzled veteran, remained perfect against the Chicago Cubs.

Filling in for injured right fielder Justin Upton, Romero hit his first career home run Monday night to end Rich Harden's no-hit bid in the sixth inning of the Arizona Diamondbacks' 2-0 victory.

Romero smacked a 1-2 pitch 362 feet to right field to lead off the bottom of the sixth.

"The biggest thing was Romero getting the game-winning home run. That's great, being his first," said Johnson, who allowed two hits, struck out four and walked one in seven scoreless innings and earned his 291st career victory.

Johnson (7-7) also improved to 13-0 with a 1.84 career ERA against the Cubs. He threw 86 pitches in his first scoreless effort since a seven-inning outing against Detroit on May 18.

"We get a Randy like that and we're going to feel good every time he goes out there. That's as good of stuff as I've seen in a while," manager Bob Melvin said. "He was a little extra amped to pitch in this game."

The D-backs, who maintained a first-place tie with the Dodgers in the NL West, supported Johnson with strong defense, including two spectacular running catches by center fielder Chris Young.

Each team collected two hits.

"Tomorrow we're canceling batting practice and the next day we're going to cancel batting practice," said manager Lou Piniella, whose Cubs managed two singles. "We're going to come out here and just stretch and play. I'm tired of seeing balls flying all over batting practice, and when the damn game starts see very little or nothing. We'll just go play and hope that'll get it done."

In Harden's second start since the Cubs acquired him two weeks ago from Oakland, the right-hander allowed only Romero's homer, struck out 10 and walked two in seven innings.

Harden had thrown 11 1/3 scoreless innings; he last gave up a run July 6.

"He left a hanging change-up or splitter. I made a swing, and the ball went out," Romero, 24, said with teammate Augie Ojeda interpreting.

Romero has earned a reputation as a hard worker. Melvin has said watching Romero's pre-game routine is "tiresome" because Romero consistently runs hard to shag fly balls during batting practice.

Now his first home run will leave lasting memories.

"I was happy to contribute," said Romero, who plays while Upton is out with an oblique injury.

Relieving a taxed bullpen, Micah Owings replaced Johnson in the eighth. Melvin said it was a difficult decision to remove Johnson, but he figured the 44-year-old was fatigued.

Owings was slated to start today, but Yusmeiro Petit will take his turn in the rotation. Owings issued a leadoff walk to Jim Edmonds, but got a flyout and a 3-6-1 double play.

"Anything I can do to help this team," Owings said about his willingness to pitch different roles.

Chad Qualls, sidelined for three days because of back tightness, entered in the ninth. He issued a leadoff walk to Ryan Theriot, and pinch hitter Kosuke Fukudome reached on first baseman Chad Tracy's error.

But Qualls got a double play and a groundout to strand Theriot at third.

Arizona added a run in the eighth on Stephen Drew's two-out triple that scored Chris Snyder.

● As the D-backs first base runner, Tracy drew a seven-pitch walk to lead off in the fifth.

● Cubs fans among the 34,627 at Chase Field often chanted, "Let's go Cubbies," leading D-backs supporters to boo.