Webb improves to 4-0 as D'Backs top the Giants 4-1

[April 18, 2008]  SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- Brandon Webb pitched another gem and, for the first time, has begun a season by winning his first four starts. Barry Zito has lost his opening four starts for the first time.

Webb and the Arizona Diamondbacks beat Zito and the San Francisco Giants 4-1 Wednesday in a matchup featuring a pair of former Cy Young award winners that seem to be headed in different directions.

Webb hit an early two-run single and made it stand up. The 2006 NL Cy Young winner gave up three hits over eight innings and won his sixth straight decision since last September.

The sinkerballer struck out the side in the first inning, throwing 10 of his 11 pitches for strikes. He got through both the fifth and sixth innings on only five pitches each time, and wound up with five strikeouts.

Brandon Lyon finished for his third save in five chances.

Webb put Arizona ahead with his single in the second. Eric Byrnes had an RBI double in the fifth that extended his hitting streak to 12 games, and Orlando Hudson followed with a run-scoring bloop single.

Zito, the Giants' $126 million left-hander who went a career-worst 11-13 last year, is still searching for consistency. After Webb's two-out, two-run single, he recorded seven straight outs before a leadoff single by Stephen Drew in the fifth.

Zito worked around Chris Young's leadoff single in the first, then walked the first three batters of the second to load the bases and draw boos. The 2002 AL Cy Young winner with Oakland had only four total walks in his first three starts.

After Chris Snyder struck out, Drew hit a shallow fly ball that kept the runner at third. Webb followed with his first hit of 2008.

Zito allowed three earned runs, five hits and five walks in six innings -- he has yet to go more than six innings.

Zito's 21 career April defeats are his most of any month and it's still his only losing month.

San Francisco went 5-5 on its homestand of the year.

Giants rookie John Bowker continued his torrid start since being called up Saturday. After becoming the first player in franchise history to homer in his first two major league games, he tripled Tuesday in his third game and singled Wednesday for his first hit off Webb.

Mark Reynolds returned to the Arizona starting lineup at third base after being held out Tuesday as a precaution following a scary fall over the railing and into a photo well Monday.

Notes: Webb hasn't lost to the Giants in eight starts since a 3-1 setback on Oct. 2, 2005. ... Giants manager Bruce Bochy celebrated his 53rd birthday. ... Arizona 3B Chad Tracy, recovering from microfracture surgery on his right knee, could begin a minor league rehab assignment in the middle of next week. ... The Giants activated RHP Vinnie Chulk (shoulder strain) from the disabled list and he made his season debut, pitching two hitless innings.

[Associated Press; By JANIE McCAULEY]

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