Webb wins No. 19 as Arizona beats Padres 4-1

[August 22, 2008]  PHOENIX (AP) -- Brandon Webb pitched seven shutout innings for his career-high and major league-leading 19th victory Thursday night in the Arizona Diamondbacks' 4-1 win over the San Diego Padres.

It was the sixth straight winning start for Webb (19-4), giving him eight wins in his last 11 starts. He allowed three hits with eight strikeouts, both tying season bests, as the Diamondbacks completed a three-game sweep.

Arizona won for the eighth time in the last 10 games and maintained a two-game lead over Los Angeles in the NL West. The Diamondbacks improved to 34-16 against division opponents.

Tony Clark hit a sacrifice fly in the second inning and Connor Jackson had a two-run double in the fifth, both off Chad Reineke (1-1).

Jackson hit a liner over the outstretched glove of third baseman Kevin Kouzmanoff that rolled into the left field corner, scoring Augie Ojeda and Chris Young, who both singled, to make it 3-0. Chris Snyder added an RBI single in the eighth for Arizona.

Brandon Lyon pitched the ninth allowing Edgar Gonzalez's two-out RBI single.

Webb, who hasn't lost since a 5-3 decision at Minnesota on June 22, walked three. His previous career best record was 18-10, set last season.

Boston's Josh Beckett won 20 games last season, but the NL hasn't had a 20-game winner since Chris Carpenter of St. Louis, Roy Oswalt of Houston and Dontrelle Willis of Florida in 2005.

Webb was hit by a comebacker from Kouzmanoff in the sixth. The ball ricocheted off Webb's chest but he picked it up and flipped it to Clark to end the inning.

Even when Webb got into trouble, he kept the ball down and escaped.

After San Diego's Brian Giles hit a leadoff single in the fourth and Adrian Gonzalez walked, Webb recovered to strike out Kouzmanoff and Chase Headley swinging, then Nick Hundley grounded out.

Reineke, who beat the Phillies last Saturday in his major league debut, worked six innings, allowing three earned runs and five hits. He walked three, one intentionally, and had four strikeouts.

Adam Dunn, who leads the league with 34 homers, was intentionally walked in the fifth and drew another one in the eighth, boosting his major league lead to 94. He had seven walks, two home runs and five RBIs in the series for Arizona.

Notes: LHP Randy Johnson, who starts Friday against Florida, holds Arizona's franchise record with 24 wins in 2002. ... Padres LHP Shawn Estes, coming back from a broken left thumb, will pitch Tuesday for San Diego's Triple-A team in Portland. ... Padres C Josh Bard, on the 15-day DL with a strained right elbow, worked out Thursday. Manager Bud Black said he could be activated Friday in San Francisco. ... Arizona's last shutout was a 3-0 win at San Diego on July 29. The Diamondbacks' last three-game sweep was July 25-27 in San Francisco. San Diego hadn't been swept since a four-game series July 17-20 at St. Louis.

[Associated Press; By TIM KORTE]

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