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Webb outduels Duke as Diamondbacks drop Pirates

Aug 6, 2008 - 5:13 AM By Bob Huhn PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

PHOENIX (Ticker) -- Zach Duke was sensational. Unfortunately for the Pittsburgh Pirates' lefthander, Brandon Webb was magnificent.

Webb picked up his major league-leading 16th win as the Arizona Diamondbacks defeated Duke and the Pirates, 3-1, on Tuesday.

Webb (16-4) hurled a complete game, allowing nine hits while striking out four and walking none. He got 21 ground-ball outs and two on fly balls. Webb did not allow a runner to reach second base for the first eight innings.

"Tonight (the sinker) was a pretty good one," Webb said. "These last two games were probably my top two of the year so far. I didn't have to go to much to the curve or the changeup plus they weren't real good."

In the ninth, the Pirates scored their only run when they strung together three consecutive hits. Freddy Sanchez doubled, Doug Mientkiewicz singled him home and All-Star Nate McLouth followed with a single. After a fielder's choice, the Pirates had runners on second and third with one out.

"The guys battled and we had a chance in the ninth but couldn't get it down. We found a way to make it interesting," Pirates manager John Russell said. "That seems to be one of our Achilles' heels this year giving up two-out hits, two-out runs. We gave three two-out runs tonight and it really hurt us especially when you face a guy like Webb is on his game."

Webb settled down and struck out Brandon Moss and Jason Michaels to end the game. He improved to 5-0 lifetime against the Pirates, who have lost five of six.

"I was trying to keep it down in the zone (in the ninth) that is what I was doing all night, but I knew I was down to my last batter," Webb said.

The righthander received the support he needed in the third inning when Stephen Drew doubled and Chris Young followed with his 15th homer. The Diamondbacks, who are 2-0 on this seven-game homestand, added an insurance run when Conor Jackson doubled in Orlando Hudson in the eighth.

"A lot of pitchers having being giving me offspeed stuff so I tried to be ready for it. He left it up a bit and I got the barrel on it," Young said. "We didn't need much when we have Webby on the mound. You understand that all you need is one or two big hits."

Duke (4-10) was nearly as good, pitching seven innings, allowing four hits while striking out six and walking one. He threw 93 pitches, 60 for strikes. The loss was the sixth straight for Duke, who has not picked up a win since June 9 against the Diamondbacks.

"I made one bad decision against Brandon Webb that is all it takes. It was a curveball. It wasn't a bad pitch, it just wasn't the right pitch. I just threw it in where he was looking," Duke said. "I have been doing very consistent work. I would say that this is an indication that it is moving in the right direction."

Arizona manager Bob Melvin now has 302 career victories, one behind franchise leader Bob Brenly. Buck Showalter is third with 250.

"He (Webb) had a great sinker again today. He didn't use that many breaking balls, he didn't have to," Melvin said. "He got the double-play balls when guys got on. That is his go-to pitch and tonight it was as good as we have seen it this year. Duke pitched a great game. The pitch to Young wasn't a horrible pitch. Other than that we didn't have a lot to show for our effort. Hitwise they were ahead of us."