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Webb aims to continue scoreless innings streak against Nationals

Aug 11, 2007 - 2:37 PM Washington (53-63) at Arizona (66-51) 8:05 pm EDT

PHOENIX (Ticker) -- The Arizona Diamondbacks have been on a roll lately, and their ace has sparked the surge.

Brandon Webb will go for his fourth straight scoreless start when the Diamondbacks host the Washington Nationals on Saturday.

Webb (11-8, 2.92 ERA) has won his last three starts, yielding a total of 16 hits in 23 scoreless innings. The reigning National League Cy Young Award winner, Webb has not allowed a run to cross the plate in 24 innings, including the seventh inning of his loss on July 20.

Arizona has gotten strong performances from most of the players on the team recently, winning 16 of their last 19 games to forge a three-game lead over the San Diego Padres (62-53) in the National League West. The Diamondbacks took the first game of the series, 11-4, on Friday.

The Nationals will counter with rookie John Lannan (1-0, 3.71). The 22-year-old lefthander turned in a strong performance in just his third major league start last Monday, holding Barry Bonds and the San Francisco Giants to just one run and eight hits in seven innings, but did not factor in a 3-2 loss.

Washington has been on a run of its own since the All-Star break, going 17-11 - the second-best mark in the NL behind Arizona.