Diamondbacks' Webb stops Phillies for his eighth victory

Brandon Webb became the first pitcher in three years to win his first 8 starts, pitching his 13th career complete game Thursday to help Arizona beat visiting Philadelphia 8-3.

The 2006 National League Cy Young Award winner had 4 strikeouts and didn't walk a batter in his first complete game of the year.

"I felt early on I had good stuff, even in the pen," said Webb, who won't pitch against the Cubs this weekend. "My arm felt great, the best it's probably felt in three games."

The easygoing Webb (8-0) became the first pitcher to win his first eight starts since Jon Garland of the 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 8 innings before allowing 2 runs and 3 hits in the ninth. Philadelphia's first-inning run was unearned.

Manager Bob Melvin came to the mound after the Phillies scored a pair of 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 2-run drive, his second homer in as many games, and Snyder had a 2-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."

Rockies 9, Cardinals 3: Colorado manager Clint Hurdle has been pleading with his team to play more relaxed lately. With the losses piling up, though, relaxed was the last thing the players felt.

But the reigning NL champs are walking around with a little more pep after beating visiting St. Louis for a second straight time to salvage a split in the four-game series.

Matt Holliday had 4 singles and Jorge De La Rosa scattered 5 hits over 5¿ innings as the Rockies won two in a row at Coors Field for the first time since early April.

"When things are going bad, it seems to snowball," Todd Helton said. "Hopefully, it goes the other way, too."

Braves 5, Padres 4: Atlanta finally won a 1-run game when Matt Diaz hit a bases-loaded single in the ninth inning to top visiting San Diego.

Atlanta was the first team since the 2000 Houston Astros to lose its first nine 1-run games. The Braves were the only team in the major leagues without a 1-run victory.

Pirates 5, Giants 4: San Francisco was fuming over its latest loss at Pittsburgh.

Adam LaRoche hit a go-ahead single in a 3-run seventh inning, and the Pirates rallied for the victory and a three-game sweep.

Jason Bay's double tied the score and one out later, National League RBI leader Xavier Nady was intentionally walked. LaRoche, who hit .174 in April, then lined a single to right just over the outstretched arm of a leaping Eugenio Velez.

Marlins 7, Brewers 2: Matt Treanor achieved a career high in RBI with one swing, hitting a 3-run homer to help Florida complete a three-game sweep of visiting Milwaukee.

Jorge Cantu also homered for the first-place Marlins, who won their fourth game in a row and matched their best start after 34 games (20-14).

The Brewers lost their sixth game in a row, their longest losing streak this year.

Nationals 8, Astros 3: Willie Harris and Rob Mackowiak homered to help Washington beat Houston and end the Astros' five-game winning streak.

John Lannan (3-3) allowed 7 hits in 6 innings for the Nationals. Austin Kearns had a 2-run single off Brandon Backe (2-4) as the Nationals won for just the third time in their last 15 road games.