Baseball roundup: Thursday's action on the diamonds
Brandon Webb's bank account is growing with every win.
Webb became the first pitcher in three years to win his first eight starts, pitching his 13th career complete game to help the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the Philadelphia Phillies 8-3 on Thursday. The 2006 NL Cy Young Award winner struck out four and didn't walk a batter in his first complete game of the year. He hit one batter.
"I felt early on I had good stuff, even in the pen," Webb said. "My arm felt great, the best it's probably felt in three games."
Webb is one of baseball's biggest bargains, or one of the most underpaid depending on the perspective, but the Diamondbacks are trying to work out a new deal.
He is scheduled to make US$5.5 million this season as part of a four-year contract that originally guaranteed him $19.5 million and potentially is worth $27.5 million over five seasons. He is due $6.5 million next year, and the Diamondbacks have an $8.5 million option for 2010 with a $1.5 million buyout.
"We've been talking a little bit and, hopefully, it's not something that drags out too long," Webb said. "We'll get something done."
The easygoing Webb (8-0) became the first pitcher to win his first eight starts since Jon Garland of the Chicago White Sox in 2005 and the first in the NL since Pedro Martinez for Montreal in 1997, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
"Everything has to go your way for these things to work," Webb said. "Guys hitting in situations and making plays. The bullpen has been coming through. Everything has to fall in place and it has whenever I've been out there."
Webb stifled the Phillies on three hits through eight innings before allowing two runs and three hits in the ninth. Philadelphia's first-inning run was unearned.
Elsewhere in the NL it was: Colorado 9, St. Louis 3; Atlanta 5, San Diego 4; Pittsburgh 5, San Francisco 4; Florida 7, Milwaukee 2; and Washington 8, Houston 3.
At Phoenix, manager Bob Melvin came to the mound after the Phillies scored two runs in the ninth and had a runner on first with one out. With catcher Chris Snyder almost pleading with the manager to leave Webb in, Melvin relented.
"He said 'You've got one batter,"' Webb said. "'I said, all right."'
Geoff Jenkins then lined one off the pitcher's glove that Webb turned in to a game-ending double-play.
Chris Young hit a two-run drive, his second homer in as many games, and Snyder had a two-run double for the Diamondbacks, who split the four-game series to finish their longest homestand of the season 5-5. Justin Upton added a solo home run for Arizona.
"Any time you get Webby run support, he just kind of gets some confidence and gets in synch and just starts pitching to contact, getting early ground balls, conserving his pitches," Snyder said, "and he did his job."
Brett Myers (2-3) allowed seven runs - six earned - and nine hits in five innings. He struck out five and walked three, one intentionally.
"I can't put together back-to-back good starts and I don't know what the problem is," Myers said. "That's frustrating. I don't know. I made some good pitches they hit, I made some bad pitches they crushed. I don't know. I'v'e just got to keep working and try to get through it."
Phillies manager Charlie Manuel certainly expects better.
"He's got to pitch better than that," Manuel said. "He's got to get consistent. He plays a part in us winning. He was our opening day starter and we want him to be consistent. HE has to pitch and win for us. He had a rough day."
Shane Victorino singled twice and scored twice for the Phillies. Eric Bruntlett had two singles and an RBI.
The Phillies scratched out a run in the first. Victorino led off with an infield single off the glove of first baseman Pat Burke and took second on a passed ball. He advanced to third on a groundout and scored on Chase Utley's sacrifice fly.
Young's eighth homer of the season - coming after Augie Ojeda's single - gave Arizona the lead for good in the bottom half.
The Diamondbacks scored four in the fourth. Myers walked the first two batters, then Mark Reynolds loaded the bases with the second of his three singles. Snyder followed with a double down the left-field line.
Eric Byrnes hit into what looked to be a double-play, but second baseman Utley dropped the ball for an error that allowed another run to score. Ojeda's sacrifice fly made it 7-1.
Upton led off the seventh with a homer off Clay Condrey.
Rockies 9, Cardinals 3
At Denver, Matt Holliday had four singles, Jorge De La Rosa scattered five hits over 5 2-3 innings and Colorado beat St. Louis to salvage a split in their four-game series.
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Braves 5, Padres 4
At Atlanta, the Braves finally won a one-run game when Matt Diaz hit a bases-loaded single in the ninth inning.
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Pirates 5, Giants 4
At Pittsburgh, Adam LaRoche hit a go-ahead single in a three-run seventh inning, and the Pirates rallied to complete a three-game sweep.
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Marlins 7, Brewers 2
At Miami, Matt Treanor achieved a career high in RBIs with one swing, hitting a three-run homer to help Florida complete a three-game sweep.
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Nationals 8, Astros 3
At Houston, Willie Harris and Rob Mackowiak homered and Washington ended the Astros' five-game winning streak.
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The All-Star home run derby isn't until July 14 but sluggers were in no short supply Thursday at Yankee Stadium.
Jason Giambi, Johnny Damon, Robinson Cano and Wilson Betemit each connected for the New York Yankees in a 6-3 victory over the Cleveland Indians that prevented a three-game sweep.
"There were big hits up and down the lineup," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said.
A day after Damon called the Yankees' recent output "pitiful," a lineup missing injured Alex Rodriguez and Jorge Posada matched a season high for homers.
"I think we're going to be fine," Damon said.
Giambi, Cano and Betemit each began the day hitting well under .180. Damon has done better from the leadoff spot, and he homered for the Yankees' first run in the fourth inning and hit a go-ahead double in the fifth.
Giambi has spent the whole season searching for a groove. Along with the home run, the former AL MVP seemed equally pleased by a sharp lineout to centre in his next at-bat.
"Hopefully, I'll get a few more to drop in," Giambi said.
Cleveland was trying to sweep the Yankees in a series of three or more games for the first time in nearly two decades. The last time the Indians did, they completed it by beating Tommy John on April 9, 1989 - John, by the way, turns 65 in two weeks.
Mike Mussina (5-3) won his fourth straight start and earned his 255th career victory, holding on for five innings. Setup man Joba Chamberlain won his rematch with David Dellucci and Mariano Rivera closed for his ninth save.
Elsewhere in the AL it was: Chicago 6, Minnesota 2; Boston 5, Detroit 1; Baltimore 4, Kansas City 1; Tampa Bay 8, Toronto 3; and Texas 5, Seattle 0.
At New York, Cano's homer finished Paul Byrd (1-3) in the seventh and Betemit, subbing for Rodriguez, met reliever Masa Kobayashi with a drive over the centre-field fence.
The only drama after that came in the eighth when Chamberlain faced Dellucci. On Tuesday night, Dellucci rocked the hard-throwing reliever with a pinch-hit, three-run homer.
Girardi later talked to Chamberlain about his penchant for shaking off his catcher's signs. This time, Chamberlain again shook off Jose Molina, then got Dellucci to swing over a slider for strike three.
Chamberlain, as usual, gave an exaggerated fist pump and hollered after fanning Dellucci to end the inning.
"That's who he is. He's not showing anyone up. He's going to show emotion," Girardi said. "He didn't look at Dellucci. He looked into our dugout."
That's not exactly how Dellucci saw Chamberlain's celebration.
"It is what it is. If he wants to yell and scream after a strikeout, I guess that's what gets him going," he said. "It's May baseball. The home run was in a much bigger situation. I didn't dance and scream.
"If a hitter did something like that, it would be bush. It's kind of interesting how a pitcher gets away with it."
Said Chamberlain: "It didn't matter who it was, I just wanted to get them out."
Mussina moved into sole possession of 39th place on the career wins list, breaking a tie with Jack Morris and Red Faber.
Damon and Giambi homered in the fourth to put the Yankees ahead 3-0. The Indians bounced back in the fifth against Mussina, tying it on Casey Blake's two-run double and Kelly Shoppach's RBI single.
Giambi's upper-deck drive landed just inside the right-field foul pole, with the star twisting his body and hoping to steer the shot clear. It was his sixth homer of the season, including two off Byrd on April 25 at Cleveland.
"I just cannot get Giambi out this year. I make the pitch, he hits it," Byrd said.
"He used to own me," Giambi said.
Damon blooped a two-out double in the fifth that drove in Cano, who opened the inning by hustling for a double.
The Indians had won five straight on the road. For the second straight game, slumping star Travis Hafner was benched. He's hitting only .209 with three home runs, and manager Eric Wedge is trying to find a way to get him to relax.
The game marked Cleveland's final scheduled appearance at Yankee Stadium. The Indians finished 262-456 overall at the ballpark, the Elias Sports Bureau said, starting with a 13-3 win on June 9, 1923, when Tris Speaker hit a grand slam.
White Sox 6 Twins 2
At Chicago, Jermaine Dye homered for the third straight game and Juan Uribe added a go-ahead two-run drive in the fifth for the White Sox.
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Red Sox 5, Tigers 1
At Detroit, Josh Beckett had eight strikeouts, including the 1,000th of his career and Kevin Youkilis hit another home run at spacious Comerica Park to lead the Boston Red Sox to a 5-1 win over the Tigers on Thursday night.
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Orioles 4, Royals 1
At Kansas City, Mo., Daniel Cabrera threw a three-hitter to remain perfect against the Royals, Nick Markakis backed him with a three-run homer, and Baltimore snapped a five-game losing streak.
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Rays 8, Blue Jays 3
At Toronto, an out-of-nowhere three-run rally in the ninth gave the Blue Jays a chance to pull out a game they looked sure to lose Thursday, but instead they were left to once again rue missed opportunities in an eventual 13 innings defeat.
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Rangers 5, Mariners 0
At Seattle, Ian Kinsler hit a two-run homer and then got hit by a pitch and Richie Sexson was ejected after charging the mound as the Texas Rangers cruised past the Mariners.
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