Arizona viewpoint: No one better than Webb

Brandon Webb has a Cy Young award on his resume.

He threw 42 straight scoreless innings earlier this season.

He might have the best sinker in all of baseball.

One of these days, folks nationally might figure out just how good he is.

Until then, they'll keep taking him - and the Diamondbacks - lightly.

In the days leading up to this National League division series, the Chicago Cubs were not only picked to beat the Diamondbacks, they were a sexy choice to get to the World Series.

Even though Arizona won five more games than Chicago in the regular season.

And even though Webb was scheduled to start the two most important games of the series: Games 1 and 5.

It turns out us pundits in the media are just like the hitters Webb faces - fooled completely.

Webb threw seven innings of one-run ball, and Arizona did just enough offensively to carve out a 3-1 win in Game 1 Wednesday.

"Everybody on our team came in feeling comfortable," Cubs left fielder Alfonso Soriano said, "but he came in dealing and working his game plan. The way Brandon Webb threw the ball it was very hard to hit it."

Or, as center fielder Jacque Jones put it, "his ball was darting and dodging and sinking."

That's Webb. His fastball might not be able to break a pane of glass, but his pitches are like butterflies in a windstorm.

"He pitched in the fashion we're used to seeing him pitch," manager Bob Melvin said.

The game was billed as a pitching duel between Webb and Cubs' ace Carlos Zambrano and it was all that - for six innings.

But with the game tied, 1-1, Cubs manager Lou Piniella lifted Zambrano even though he had thrown a measly 85 pitches.

The reason? Zambrano is coming back on three days rest for Game 4, and Piniella wanted to keep his pitch count down.

Bad move, Lou. You don't manage for tomorrow in the postseason. You have to win today.

Reliever Carlos Marmol might have looked like a sure thing to Piniella - opponents were hitting .169 against him - but the Diamondbacks were thrilled to see Zambrano in the dugout.

"Zambrano is a top of the line pitcher," third baseman Mark Reynolds said. "Anytime he comes out of the game it's a sigh of relief."

Breathing easier, Arizona scored two runs off Marmol in the seventh to take a two-run lead, and the Diamondbacks' bullpen did the rest.

Piniella was asked whether he could be accused of looking ahead to Game 4.

His response was typical sarcastic Piniella.

"I'm not accused of anything, sir," he said.

Accused?

No.

Convicted of foolishness?

Absolutely.

"Listen, you guys. This is only the first game," Piniella said. "There's a lot of baseball to be played in this series, OK? It's not gloom and doom."

He keeps managing like that, it soon will be.

Webb wasn't flawless. The Cubs had runners on base in each of the first six innings. But Webb snuffed every threat.

His best escape act came in the third inning. He allowed a leadoff double to Zambrano but then struck out Alfonso Soriano, Jacque Jones and Derrek Lee to end the inning. He also survived a bases-loaded jam in the sixth by striking out Zambrano.

"He clutched up," catcher Chris Snyder said.

The night couldn't have turned out better for the Diamondbacks.

Jerry Colangelo threw out the first pitch to a standing ovation, his toss to Randy Johnson surely appeasing fans who had never forgiven Arizona's owners for dumping Colangelo over the side in 2004.

The crowd, expected to be nearly a 50-50 split between Cubs and Diamondbacks' fans, was a tidal wave of red. You had to look hard to find a blue jersey in the stands.

And then there was Webb.

He won in Colorado to clinch a playoff spot.

He won Game 1 of the playoffs.

If there is a Game 5, is there anybody else you'd rather have on the mound?