It’s hard enough trying to get hits against the major league-leader in wins. When he starts swinging the bat well, too, that’s just unfair.
Brandon Webb pitched six strong innings for his 17th win and hit a two-run double to lead the Arizona Diamondbacks to a 6-1 victory over the Atlanta Braves on Sunday.
“I got a good piece of wood on that one,” Webb said. “We had a couple of ducks on the pond and that’s when I step it up.”
Webb (17-4) was effective if not sharp, allowing one run and six hits with two walks and five strikeouts. He threw 62 of 96 pitches for strikes in his shortest outing since three straight six-inning starts from June 28-July 8.
In other NL games on Sunday, it was: Chicago 6, St. Louis 2; Florida 8, New York 2; Philadelphia 6, Pittsburgh 2; San Francisco 5, Los Angeles 4; Milwaukee 5, Washington 4 in 13 innings; San Diego 16, Colorado 7; and Houston 13, Cincinnati 4.
With Arizona leading 4-0 with two outs in the fourth inning and Jamie D’Antona standing on second, Atlanta starter Mike Hampton intentionally walked Chris Burke to get to Webb. But the right-hander lined a double over the outstretched glove of Jeff Francouer in center, scoring D’Antona and Burke to put the Diamondbacks ahead 6-0.
“Every now and then you get lucky and get a base hit,” Webb said.
Chris Snyder homered for the first-place Diamondbacks, who snapped a four-game losing streak and extended their lead in the NL West over Los Angeles to 1 1/2 games.
“The Dodgers aren’t going to give us the division,” said third baseman Mark Reynolds, who hit a two-run double in the first. “We have to win as many games as we can. The way the division is it’s crucial for us to keep playing and keep plugging along.”
After loading the bases twice in the sixth and surrendering a sacrifice fly to Omar Infante, Webb – the 2006 NL Cy Young Award winner – escaped by fielding Francouer’s grounder and starting an inning-ending double play.
“We had a chance to get to him and they got out of it with a double play,” Braves third baseman Chipper Jones said. “That’s what he does. Brandon Webb is unbelievable, the probable Cy Young Award winner again.”
Infante finished 2-for-3 for the Braves, who fell one game short of their first four-game sweep of Arizona since 2004.
“To win three out of four against their pitching staff is pretty good,” Atlanta manager Bobby Cox said. “They’ve got an outstanding staff and getting three is big.”
After Webb’s double, Hampton (1-1) retired Stephen Drew to end the fourth inning but his day was done. He allowed five hits, walked two and struck out three in matching his shortest start since coming off the disabled list July 26.
“I made some terrible pitches with guys in scoring position,” Hampton said.
Reynolds gave Arizona a 2-0 lead in the first when he hit a two-run double into the left-field corner. Reynolds scored on Chris Young’s groundout to first.
“That first inning went a long way toward getting us moving in the right direction,” Arizona manager Bob Melvin said. “Early runs and Brandon Webb on the mound usually ends up being all good in the end.”
Snyder made it 4-0 when he led off the second with his 10th home run, his first since July 30.
Cubs 6, Cardinals 2
Ryan Dempster earned his 13th win and Chicago beat visiting St. Louis in a game in which Cardinals starter Chris Carpenter (0-1) left with another injury.
Ronny Cedeno’s double capped a five-run sixth inning for the Cubs. Carpenter, making his third start since opening day last year, left the game during the inning with a strained right triceps. The 2005 NL Cy Young Award winner underwent elbow ligament replacement surgery in July 2007.
Giants 5, Dodgers 4
Aaron Rowand scored from third on Eugenio Velez’s infield single, and host San Francisco rallied past Los Angeles for the second straight game.
Hong-Chih Kuo allowed back-to-back singles to open the ninth, then got pinch-hitter Omar Vizquel to foul out to the catcher. Jose Castillo reached on an error by Los Angeles third baseman Casey Blake to load the bases.
Emmanuel Burris followed with an infield grounder, beating the throw to first from shortstop Angel Berroa and allowing Randy Winn to score. Velez’s two-out single went through the legs of Kuo and bounced off the glove of Berroa, sending Rowand home.
Padres 16, Rockies 7
San Diego hit four home runs, Brian Giles and Adrian Gonzalez finished with four hits each and visiting San Diego spoiled Livan Hernandez’s return to the National League.
Jody Gerut, Kevin Kouzmanoff and Giles homered in the third, and Luke Carlin added his first major league home run. Justin Hampson (1-1) pitched three innings in relief to get the win.
Hernandez (0-1), who was claimed off waivers by the Rockies on Wednesday, allowed nine runs on seven hits and walked four in 2 2-3 innings.
Brewers 5, Nationals 4, 13 innings
Gabe Kapler homered off the pole in left leading off the 13th inning and host Milwaukee came back from a late three-run deficit to beat Washington.
Kapler’s shot off Luis Ayala (1-8) gave Milwaukee its fifth consecutive victory.
Phillies 6, Pirates 3
AChase Utley hit a tie-breaking homer, and the Phillies went on to beat visiting Pittsburgh and move two games ahead of the New York Mets in the NL East.
Marlins 8, Mets 2
Josh Johnson (3-0) stifled the Mets for seven innings, Dan Uggla had two doubles and three RBIs and visiting Florida roughed up Mike Pelfrey to avoid a three-game sweep.
Luis Gonzalez and Mike Jacobs each homered in support of Johnson, who gave up two runs and five hits to follow up six shutout innings in Philadelphia on Tuesday.
Astros 13, Reds 4
At Cincinnati, Michael Bourn homered and drove in a career-high four runs, Lance Berkman and Geoff Blum also went deep and the Astros rolled to their easiest win of the year.
The Reds have dropped a season-high six straight and 14 of their last 16.
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