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Webb first to 19 wins as Diamondbacks top Padres

Aug 22, 2008 - 5:53 AM PHOENIX (Ticker) -- Despite matching his career high in wins last season, Brandon Webb was unable to sway the National League Cy Young vote his way. He's hoping surpassing that mark will change the voters' minds this year.

Webb posted his major league-best 19th win on Thursday, leading the Arizona Diamondbacks to a 4-1 win over the San Diego Padres.

Webb (19-4) won his sixth consecutive start, allowing three hits and three walks with eight strikeouts in seven scoreless innings.

"The sinker had great action; the changeup was really good tonight," Padres manager Bud Black said. "It just has such action down below the hitting area. Out of the hand, it looks like a good pitch to hit and you have to commit."

"By the time it gets to the hitting area, it is down below the zone and diving. I can see why this guy has 19 wins."

Once again, the sinkerballer - who leads all major league starters in groundout-to-flyout ratio - relied on his trademark pitch, inducing 10 groundouts to three flyouts.

"I've got a lot of confidence, especially with the guys hitting and playing defense behind me like they are," Webb said. "I've been pretty much able to pound the zone low and get a lot of groundballs and strikeouts when I need it. That's what I've been doing."

In winning his eighth straight decision, Webb eclipsed his previous career high of 18 wins set during his NL Cy Young Award campaign in 2006 and again in 2007, when he finished second in the balloting behind San Diego's Jake Peavy.

While Boston's Josh Beckett reached 20 wins last season, the NL hasn't featured a 20-game winner since Chris Carpenter of St. Louis, Roy Oswalt of Houston and Dontrelle Willis of Florida all accomplished the feat in 2005.

Randy Johnson holds the team record with 24 wins in 2002.

Following a second-inning sacrifice fly by Tony Clark, Chad Reineke (1-1) held the Diamondbacks in check until the fifth, when Conor Jackson ripped a two-run double down the left field line to stake Arizona to a 3-0 advantage.

"We feel if we get a couple of runs, he's (Webb) going to be lights out," Jackson said. "It was no different tonight."

Chris Snyder added an insurance run in the eighth on a RBI single.

Tony Pena tossed a perfect eighth, but embattled closer Brandon Lyon, who has surrendered at least one run in four of his last five appearances, spoiled the shutout when he allowed Edgar Gonzalez's RBI single in the ninth. However, Lyon retired Luis Gonzalez one pitch later to preserve the victory.

Arizona (67-60) won for the eighth time in 10 games and maintained a two-game lead over the Los Angeles Dodgers (65-62) - who won earlier over Colorado - in the NL West.

The Diamondbacks also improved to 34-16 against NL West opponents, the best mark by a team within its own division.