Arizona Ace Wins Again After Finally Surrendering Run

Arizona's Brandon Webb finally saw his streak end while St. Louis slugger Albert Pujols just keeps his going. <br/><br/>Webb had his scoreless inning string stopped at 42 in the first inning of the

Thursday, August 23rd 2007, 7:45 am

By: News On 6

Arizona's Brandon Webb finally saw his streak end while St. Louis slugger Albert Pujols just keeps his going.

Webb had his scoreless inning string stopped at 42 in the first inning of the Diamondbacks' 3-2 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday night. Pujols homered for the fifth consecutive game in the Cardinals' 6-4 win over the Florida Marlins.

Last year's NL Cy Young winner, Webb (14-8) gave up two runs and five hits in seven innings. He struck out five and walked one to win his sixth consecutive start. The right-hander fell 17 innings shy of Orel Hershiser's major league record of 59 straight scoreless innings set in 1988.

``I was feeling it a little earlier in the day with all the attention,'' said Webb, who kept Arizona 3 1/2 games ahead of second-place San Diego in the NL West. ``It was fun while it lasted. I just hope we start a new one.''

Pujols is still three games shy of tying the record for consecutive games with a homer, but he has another milestone all to himself.

Pujols' two-run shot in the first inning gave him 30 for the season. He's the first player in major league history to hit at least 30 homers in each of his first seven seasons.

``I think since his rookie year he's had us scratching our heads in amazement at the quality of his baseball, and not just his hitting,'' said Cardinals manager Tony La Russa. ``One way to measure how great a player is in our game is you can compare some of the numbers with history.

``This is consistency and it speaks to strength of mind, I think, and competitiveness more than talent.''

In other NL games, it was the Chicago Cubs 4, San Francisco 2 in 10 innings; Los Angeles 15, Philadelphia 3; San Diego 7, New York 5; Cincinnati 4, Atlanta 2; Pittsburgh 11, Colorado 2; and Houston 3, Washington 2.

Webb's shutout streak was the fifth-longest since 1940, behind Hershiser's 59 innings, Don Drysdale's 58, Bob Gibson's 47 and Sal Maglie's 45.

The streak began on July 20 at Chicago, when Webb pitched a scoreless seventh inning after giving up two runs in the sixth. He had made five starts since then, including three straight shutouts, the first big league pitcher to throw three consecutive shutouts since Roger Clemens for Toronto in August 1998.

``It was a streak that was amazing to me,'' Webb said.

It didn't take the Diamondbacks long to answer against Jeff Suppan (8-11). Chris Young hit a 345-foot shot down the left-field line for his seventh leadoff homer this season. Orlando Hudson followed with a triple and scored on Tony Clark's sacrifice fly to give Webb a 2-1 lead.

Pujols' latest heroics came with him hobbling around the basepaths with a hamstring injury that left him numb from the waist down at one point.

Team doctors examined Pujols after the game, and the Cardinals' star said he was told there was no ligament damage. La Russa wanted to take him out, but Pujols convinced him otherwise.

``It was painful, I won't lie to you, and it was sore,'' Pujols said. ``They wanted me to come out of the game but I wanted to go out there.''

Jim Edmonds' two-run, seventh-inning shot off Scott Olsen (9-11) put the Cardinals ahead for good, and kept St. Louis within three games of the NL Central-leading Cubs. Milwaukee is a game back in second place.

Russ Springer (6-1) set down the top of the Marlins' order in succession in the eighth and Jason Isringhausen pitched a perfect ninth for his 25th save in 27 chances.

``They jumped right back on us and that's a sign of a good team,'' said the Marlins' Jeremy Hermida said. ``They're the defending World Champions, and they're that for a reason.''

Cubs 4, Giants 2, 10 innings

At San Francisco, Jason Kendall drove in the go-ahead run in the 10th inning off Pat Misch (0-3) as the Cubs rallied late against the Giants for the second consecutive game.

Carlos Marmol (3-1) pitched two innings for the win. Ryan Dempster got the final three outs for his 20th save in 22 chances.

Dodgers 15, Phillies 3

At Philadelphia, Andre Ethier and James Loney each drove in three runs, Matt Kemp had a career-high four hits and Derek Lowe (10-11) pitched seven solid innings.

J.D. Durbin (5-3) allowed five runs and seven hits in six innings after moving up one day to take the spot of Cole Hamels, who was placed on the disabled list.

Padres 7, Mets 5

At New York, Jake Peavy (14-5) struck out 11 and didn't give up a hit until the fifth inning.

San Diego's Brian Lawrence (1-1) fell behind early against his former team, getting tagged for four runs and seven hits in five innings.

Reds 4, Braves 2

At Cincinnati, Josh Hamilton and Jeff Keppinger hit consecutive home runs, and Bronson Arroyo (7-13) drove in a run while striking out five pitching into the sixth inning.

Lance Cormier (0-4) retired the first nine batters he faced before Hamilton hit the first pitch of the fourth inning over the center field wall. Keppinger followed to make it 2-1.

Pirates 11, Rockies 2

At Denver, Nate McLouth hit a pair of home runs, two of a season-high six hit by the Pirates, and Pittsburgh pounded out 17 hits to back Tom Gorzelanny (12-7).

Josh Fogg (7-9) gave up eight hits to the first 12 batters he faced and tied a season high with eight earned runs allowed.

Astros 3, Nationals 2

At Houston, Woody Williams (7-12) won his third straight decision, Ty Wigginton hit a solo home run and Lance Berkman added an RBI triple as Houston snapped a three-game losing streak.

Mike Bacsik (5-6) gave up three runs and seven hits with four strikeouts in six innings.