Webb grabs seventh win, Ojeda brings home career-best six in win

PHOENIX (AP) -- The Arizona Diamondbacks figure they're going to win every time Brandon Webb pitches.

They didn't expect Augie Ojeda to help make him the majors' first seven-game winner.

Ojeda drove in a career-high six runs to lead the Arizona Diamondbacks to a 10-4 victory over the New York Mets on Saturday.

"Six RBIs -- that's incredible for anybody," said Webb (7-0), who matched Randy Johnson in 2000 for the fastest start by a Diamondbacks pitcher. "He was the difference today."

Starting in place of injured second baseman Orlando Hudson, Ojeda entered with two RBIs. He hit a two-run single in the second, a two-run double in the fifth and a two-run double in the eighth. The last hit fueled a five-run burst that blew the game open against Duaner Sanchez.

The 33-year-old Ojeda, generously listed at 5-foot-9, has grown accustomed to a reserve role. He's played in 247 games since breaking in with the Chicago Cubs in 2000.

He said it's difficult to maintain his stroke during long spells on the bench.

"It's the toughest thing in baseball, I think," Ojeda said. "It's real tough. Your timing's not there. You can hit in the cages, work every day on your swing. But it's not the same as gamelike [conditions], a guy throwing 94-95 [miles per hour]."

Arizona manager Bob Melvin saw how useful Ojeda could be in last year's division series. Replacing an injured Hudson, Ojeda went 4-for-9 with a double and an RBI in a three-game sweep of the Cubs.

"Certain players complement a team or other players very well, and Augie is a great complement, not only on the field but in the clubhouse with our guys," Melvin said. "His preparation is flawless every day."

Ojeda's big day overshadowed another solid performance by Webb.

On the day he was selected NL pitcher of the month for April, Webb went six innings, allowing a season-high four runs. He gave up five hits, walked two and struck out three.

Webb was sailing along with a 5-1 lead when Ryan Church singled and Carlos Beltran walked in the sixth. With two out, Carlos Delgado hit a 1-1 fastball deep into the right-field seats to cut Arizona's lead to 5-4.

Webb said he lacked his best stuff, but it was enough to keep the Mets in check. New York put five runners on in the first three innings but managed to push only one across.

"He's one of the best pitchers in baseball, and you've got to try and jump on him when you can," New York manager Willie Randolph said. "We had some opportunities early and let them slip away, and when you do that, you have a chance to lose the game."

The Mets don't lose many in downtown Phoenix. They had won 14 of their last 15 in Chase Field, dating to May 2004. During that stretch, New York had outscored Arizona 112-34.

Webb had fared poorly against the Mets, with a 2-6 lifetime record, and he quickly fell behind on Saturday.

Beltran led off the second with a single and took second on a groundout. Webb dropped Damion Easley's high chop for an error, putting runners at the corners. Raul Casanova singled in Beltran to give the Mets a 1-0 lead.

Webb doused the rally in typical fashion, getting the speedy Endy Chavez to bounce into a 6-4-3 double play.

The Diamondbacks answered quickly against Mike Pelfrey (2-2), who opened the second by walking Conor Jackson and Justin Upton. After the runners moved up on a groundout, Ojeda hit a two-run single off first baseman Delgado's glove.

Ojeda doubled into the right-field corner in the fifth to give Webb a 5-1 lead.

"When I made mistakes they made me pay," said Pelfrey, who has lost three straight starts. "I'm staying positive. I'm going to continue to work hard. I know from my standpoint I have to be better than I have been, and the last three performances is not cutting it."

Game notes
For the second game in a row, New York 3B David Wright turned in a defensive gem. He snagged Eric Byrnes' bouncer down the line with his bare hand and threw him out in the sixth. On Friday night, Wright made a tumbling over-the-shoulder grab on a foul pop. ... Hudson, who sat out with a mild hamstring injury, is expected to return on Sunday. ... New York CF Carlos Beltran walked and singled and has reached base in 25 of his 26 starts. ... Arizona 3B Chad Tracy, who is returning from a knee injury, will begin a rehabilitation assignment at Triple-A Tucson on Tuesday. ... LHP Johan Santana starts for the Mets on Sunday. He's 2-0 with a 0.56 ERA in two career starts against Arizona and threw a shutout in his only Chase Field appearance, for Minnesota on June 8, 2005.