Webb mows down Braves for third straight shutout

Diamondbacks 4, Braves 0

ATLANTA — Brandon Webb pitched his third straight shutout and stretched his scoreless streak to 42 innings, tossing a two-hitter to lead the Arizona Diamondbacks past the Atlanta Braves 4-0 on Friday night.

Webb became the first pitcher since Orel Hershiser in 1988 to go at least 40 innings without giving up a run.

It's not like the Diamondbacks are scoring a lot of runs for Webb (13-8). His previous start was a five-hit, 1-0 win over Washington, and he was clinging to another 1-0 lead when Mark Reynolds gave Arizona some breathing room with a mammoth two-run homer off Lance Cormier in the eighth.

Chris Young had his second two-homer game of the week. He went deep leading off the third against Atlanta starter Lance Cormier (0-3), then added his 24th homer of the season off Tyler Yates in the ninth.

Webb started his streak nearly a month ago. He didn't allow a run in the final inning of his July 20 start against the Chicago Cubs, a 6-2 loss. He's won five in a row since then, going seven innings apiece in wins over Florida and San Diego before beginning his stretch of shutouts with a 3-0 win at the Los Angeles Dodgers.

"We couldn't hit Webb," Braves manager Bobby Cox said. "I guess nobody can hit Webb. He's that good."

Nineteen years ago, Hershiser was with the Dodgers when he set the record of 59 straight scoreless innings. Webb, last year's NL Cy Young winner, is now tied with Rube Foster for the 12th-longest streak in baseball history.

In what looked like a huge mismatch, Atlanta countered with Cormier, who's spent most of the season in the minors or on the disabled list. He had made three starts for the Braves, never lasting more than four innings, and came into the game with a 13.50 ERA.

But Cormier matched Webb nearly pitch for pitch until the eighth. Conor Jackson singled to center with one out, and Reynolds followed with his 11th homer of the year, driving a 3-1 pitch onto the concourse beyond the center-field seats.

The drive was estimated at 453 feet — the sixth-longest homer in Turner Field history.

Cormier went 7 1/3 innings, allowing eight hits and three runs.

The Braves never threatened against Webb, who retired the first 10 hitters. Kelly Johnson finally broke through, blooping a double to center with one out in the fourth, but Chipper Jones struck out swinging and Mark Teixeira flied out to center.

Webb faced only two over the minimum. Jeff Francoeur had a one-out single in the fifth, but Andruw Jones followed with an inning-ending double play. Teixeira walked in the seventh to account for the only other Atlanta baserunner.

DP-Arizona 1. LOB-Arizona 8, Atlanta 2. 2B-CBYoung (20), Johnson (20). HR-CBYoung 2 (24), Reynolds (11). SB-Byrnes (33). S-CSnyder.

HBP-by Yates (OHudson). Umpires-Home, Laz Diaz; First, Bill Welke; Second, John Hirschbeck; Third, Wally Bell. T-2:17. A-33,248 (49,583).