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Struggling Webb aims to help Arizona to sweep

Jul 15, 2007 - 2:21 PM San Diego (49-40) at Arizona (49-43) 4:40 pm EDT

PHOENIX (Ticker) - Normally, a team going for a sweep with its ace on the mound would feel pretty good about its chances. That is not the case for the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Brandon Webb (8-6, 3.37 ERA) takes the hill looking to put his last two outings behind him as the Diamondbacks look for a three-game sweep of the San Diego Padres on Sunday.

Webb has looked like anything but the reigning National League Cy Young Award winner recently. The righthander has allowed nine runs in his last 13 innings and is 0-1 in his last two starts.

Arizona has taken the first two games of the series by hitting .500 (9-for-18) with runners in scoring position.

On Saturday, the Diamondbacks roughed up the majors' best bullpen for five runs in the final two innings, as Chad Tracy scored Orlando Hudson with an eighth-inning single for 5-4 victory.

Meanwhile, San Diego, which has lost three straight, will send a struggling pitcher of its own to the hill. Justin Germano (5-3, 3.90) has not won in over a month after starting the season by winning five of his first seven starts.

Germano, who beat Tampa Bay on June 14 for his last win, has allowed 12 runs and 18 hits in his last 10 2/3 innings. On July 6, the righthander allowed a season-high seven runs and 10 hits in a season-low four innings against Atlanta.