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Germano outpitches Webb in critical game

Aug 29, 2007 - 5:58 AM By Tim Powers PA Sportsticker Contributing Writer

SAN DIEGO (Ticker) -- Justin Germano outdueled one of the National League's hottest pitchers to help the San Diego Padres gain ground in the division race with a 6-4 triumph over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Tuesday.

Germano (7-7) threw six solid innings and Khalil Greene drove in two runs against reigning NL Cy Young Award winner Brandon Webb, who had won each of his previous six starts.

The 25-year-old Germano, a waiver claim from Philadelphia in April, won for the first time since July 15 after losing four straight decisions. He yielded three runs, seven hits and three walks with three strikeouts.

"I just wanted to go in there and just match (Webb) inning for inning," said Germano, who beat Webb for the second time in three meetings this season. "We knew it was going to be a tough game to get some runs on him, but we've done it before. My job is just to go out there and try to match him until we get a break off him."

It was Germano's first win at home since May 26, a stretch of seven starts.

"I know what we're capable of doing," Germano said. "(Webb) is a great pitcher, but you can't take anything for granted. You've just got to hang in there and wait for a mistake. We're all human as pitchers and we're definitely going to make a mistake, so it's up to our guys to pounce on it."

Doug Brocail gave up a seventh-inning solo home run to Conor Jackson before Heath Bell worked a scoreless eighth. All-time saves leader Trevor Hoffman retired the side in order in the ninth to earn his 35th save of the year and 517th career.

San Diego (72-59) pulled within one game of first-place Arizona (74-59) in the NL West.

"We just continue to play well," Padres center fielder Mike Cameron said. "We've got to play with urgency, and if you do that, it takes away all of the other things outside the bubble besides trying to play as best as we can against the team that's in front of us. We just want to give ourselves a chance to make a run for it in the end."

Webb (14-9) fell apart in the sixth after allowing just two hits to that point. Cameron led off the frame with a solo shot - his 18th of the year - to tie the game at 3-3. It was the first home run allowed by Webb since July 7.

Five more batters reached base before Webb recorded an out, with the final blow coming when the righthander hit Germano with an 0-2 pitch with the bases loaded, giving the Padres a 6-3 lead.

"It was not real good from the start," Webb said. "Even in the bullpen (before the game), I didn't feel too sharp. I wasn't able to locate my fastball and get ahead, and couldn't make the big pitch. All that combined became a bit too much."

Spanning a stretch in which he threw 42 consecutive scoreless innings - including three shutouts - Webb had not lost since July 20.

The 27-year-old surrendered a season-high six runs in this one, the most he has allowed since his final start in 2006, when San Diego touched him for seven runs in four innings.

"(Webb) is as tough as they come," Padres manager Bud Black said. "He has no doubt been one of the hottest pitchers in baseball. His (scoreless) streak is evidence of that. I think our guys had a good gameplan coming in, and they followed through with it. We got some pitches we could handle, and that was the key."

Adrian Gonzalez added a pair of singles and scored twice as the Padres won for the sixth time in seven games.

"We had some good at-bats against (Webb)," Gonzalez said. "We got the right hits at the right time and put them all together. We had less hits than them but were still able to score more runs, so I think the fact that we got the hits at the right time was huge for us."

Jackson when 3-for-3 and drove in two runs for Arizona, which has lost two straight.