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Webb sets new career mark in wins, downs Dodgers again

Sep 23, 2007 - 6:09 AM By Bob Huhn PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

PHOENIX (Ticker) -- Brandon Webb continued his dominance over the Los Angeles Dodgers by posting his career-high 17th win in a 6-2 victory on Saturday that opened up a little more breathing room in the National League West.

The reigning Cy Young Award winner tossed 6 1/3 strong innings, yielding two runs and eight hits with six strikeouts en route to his seventh straight win in as many starts against the Dodgers.

"I felt better early on then in the last few games," Webb said. "Tonight, I felt that I had decent action on the ball and I was able to use that and get ahead. In key situations tonight, I was able to go with my off-speed pitches and get some strikeouts."

Chris Young and Mark Reynolds each hit home runs for the Diamondbacks (88-67), who increased the their lead in the division to two games over the San Diego Padres (85-68), who were playing the Colorado Rockies.

Young hammered the first pitch of the game 463 feet into the upper deck in left field off Dodger starter David Wells (8-9) to take a 1-0 lead. The leadoff homer was the ninth such blast for Young this season, a number which leads the majors.

"That is quite the lift right off the bat, hitting the first pitch almost out of the stadium," Diamondbacks manger Bob Melvin said. "With Webby on the mound, that is what you are looking for - getting your guy a lead and letting him go do his thing."

In the third, Reynolds' belted his own solo shot to left, increasing the Diamondbacks advantage to 4-0. The home run was the rookie's fourth of the season against the Dodgers, the most he has hit against any opponent.

"I don't know where we would be without him," Melvin said. "There have been times when our guys have struggled, but for young players, it is important to see how they come back. If we have had some problems this year, it has been offensively - and knock on wood right now - we are pretty good offensively."

It was the second straight poor outing for the 44-year-old Wells, who was pitching on just three days rest. The lefthander lasted only 4 2/3 innings, surrendering five runs and nine hits, snapping his three-game winning streak.

"I felt like I was battling constantly trying to make good pitches and in the second or third inning, I just didn't have the rhythm," Wells said. "It wasn't a very good night for me. I was trying to stop the bleeding when we were getting (beat) and I don't like it. We are too good of a team to get beat like this. Right now, it is like we are on no cylinders whatsoever."

In his last two games, Wells has surrendered 10 runs and 17 hits in 9 2/3 innings.

The Dodgers, who now have lost a season-high seven consecutive games, were once again without shortstop Rafael Furcal, who missed his fifth straight game with a sore lower back.

"We knew it would be tough but we allowed them too many runs and couldn't catch up," Dodgers manager Grady Little said. "What our record ends up being is not nearly as significant as not making it into the postseason. That is your objective and if you don't accomplish that, you have lost."