Recap: St. Louis vs. Arizona
Sports Network | September 23, 2008
St. Louis, MO (Sports Network) - Brandon Webb did what a stopper does -- pitching deep into a crucial game and coming out on top -- as Arizona inched closer to the Dodgers in the National League West race with a 4-2 victory over St. Louis at Busch Stadium.
Webb (22-7) became the NL's first 22-game winner since Dontrelle Willis in 2005. Randy Johnson, a current teammate of Webb, was the last Diamondback to accomplish the feat with a team-record 24 wins in his first tour of duty with the club in 2002.
The sinker-baller gave up two runs on eight hits with a pair of walks and six strikeouts over seven frames. Stephen Drew was a triple short of the cycle, scored twice and drove in a pair of runs for the Diamondbacks, who moved two games behind idle Los Angeles in the division race.
Arizona opened the four-game set by winning for the seventh time in eight contests.
Todd Wellemeyer (12-9) was hit with the loss after giving up three runs on nine hits with four walks and seven strikeouts in six frames. Felipe Lopez finished 3-for-5 for the Cardinals, losers of three straight and 10 of 12.
The two teams exchanged runs in the first frame. Drew singled, moved to second on a wild pick-off attempt and scored on Conor Jackson's double only to see St. Louis tie the game in the bottom half on a pair of singles and an ill- timed balk.
David Eckstein, in his first game back in St. Louis since being a member of the Cardinals, moved Chris Snyder to second with a single in the fourth and Drew's double placed the Diamondbacks catcher. Drew hit a solo shot off Wellemeyer for a 3-1 lead in the sixth.
Adam Kennedy scored on Skip Schumaker's groundout for a 3-2 game just after stretch time, but the Diamondbacks added a crucial insurance run on Chad Tracy's pinch-hit RBI double in the eighth.
Chad Qualls pitched the ninth for his seventh save, escaping a jam. Cesar Izturis singled, stole second and went to third on a groundout, but was stranded when Lopez grounded out.
The Cardinals activated outfielder Joe Mather from the 15-day disabled list prior to Monday's game...Webb improved to 3-4 lifetime versus St. Louis...Wellemeyer is 0-3 in his career against Arizona.
