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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Wednesday, July 9, 2008

Arizona's Webb wins majors-best 13th game

Associated Press

Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser

Arizona's Brandon Webb, right, who pitched six scoreless innings, talks strategy with catcher Robby Hammock.

HARAZ N. GHANBARI | Associated Press

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PHILADELPHIA — Brandon Webb liked the result. He wasn't happy with how he achieved it.

Webb gave up six hits in six innings to earn his major league-leading 13th win as the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the Washington Nationals, 2-0, last night.

"Once again, it was a battle," Webb said. "I haven't had an easy inning in a month, it seems like."

Washington starter Odalis Perez (2-6) had trouble of his own — with home plate umpire Angel Hernandez, who called two balks on the pitcher and then ejected him in the third inning.

Perez's first balk led to the Diamondbacks' first run, moving Chris Burke — who reached on an error by shortstop Cristian Guzman — to second. Burke scored on Chris Young's single.

After the second balk, Perez charged toward Hernandez, who quickly ejected Perez. The left-hander had to be restrained by manager Manny Acta, pitching coach Randy St. Claire and second base umpire Eric Cooper.

"He's just stupid. He's stupid and (an) idiot," Perez said of Hernandez. "This is the third or fourth time he called a balk on me. I lost the game twice. It's like he has something personal against me. ... I hate that. I know I'm going to get fined, but I don't care. I want to protect myself and protect my teammates, too.

"He called it. I don't like that. I hate that. I lost the game, and I hate that so bad because he's bad. He's awful. He's the worst," Perez added.

Hernandez declined to comment.

Arizona manager Bob Melvin felt Perez was stepping toward home plate and earned the calls.

"There were some dramatics to it, but I certainly don't blame him for calling them," Melvin said. "I saw it the same way he did."

Acta called it "mind-boggling" that Hernandez called two balks on Perez in an inning and Perez had no balks this season, but said the calls had little effect on the outcome.

"It didn't make a difference because we didn't score any runs on him anyway," Acta said.

Webb (13-4) struck out six and walked two in his first start since being chosen for the NL All-Star team for a third straight year. It was the 16th time in 19 starts Webb lasted at least six innings.

Webb's toughest inning came in the fifth, with Arizona holding a 1-0 lead. The Nationals loaded the bases on a double, error and a walk, and with two outs Webb faced Austin Kearns, who already had two hits in the game and was 9 for 20 against Webb.

"I knew he'd hit me fairly well and had some big hits off me," Webb said. "I was like, 'I'm not going to walk him.' I just challenged him."

Webb ended up getting Kearns to fly out on a 3-2 pitch, ending the Nationals' only real threat of the game.

CARDINALS 2, PHILLIES 1

PHILADELPHIA — Joel Pineiro (3-4) allowed five hits and walked three in 6 1/3 innings, three relievers finished up the six-hitter, and Rick Ankiel and Ryan Ludwick hit solo homers to lead St. Louis over Philadelphia. Cole Hamels (9-6) gave up three hits — including the home runs — in seven innings.

METS 7, GIANTS 0

NEW YORK — Mike Pelfrey (7-6) allowed three hits over seven innings to win his fifth straight start, Carlos Beltran hit a three-run homer in the first and Carlos Delgado and Fernando Tatis also connected to help New York beat San Francisco and Tim Lincecum (10-2) for its fourth straight victory.

CUBS 7, REDS 3

CHICAGO — Ryan Dempster (10-3) allowed a run and two hits in seven innings to become the first Cubs pitcher in 31 years to start a season 10-0 at home, and Mike Fontenot and Geovany Soto homered to beat Cincinnati. Chicago's Rick Reuschel won his first 10 decisions at home in 1977.

PADRES 10, MARLINS 1

SAN DIEGO — Rookie Chase Headley had three hits and four RBIs, including a three-run double, Scott Hairston had a two-run homer among his three hits and Randy Wolf (6-8) gave up a run and five hits in seven innings as San Diego rolled past Florida.

PIRATES 4, ASTROS 3

PITTSBURGH — Nate McLouth's two-run single in the eighth capped a three-run rally as Pittsburgh sent Houston to its seventh loss in eight games. Two rain delays totaled 3 hours and 7 minutes — one in the top of the fourth for 2 hours and 39 minutes and another in the bottom of the sixth when play was halted for 28 minutes.

BRAVES 9, DODGERS 3

LOS ANGELES — Jair Jurrjens (9-4) allowed a run and five hits in six innings, batterymate Brian McCann homered twice and Yunel Escobar hit a three-run double to lead Atlanta over Los Angeles and Chad Billingsley (8-8), who did not allow a hit until Kelly Johnson led off the fifth inning with a single.