Webb, D-Backs upended by Giants
PHOENIX -- After a pair of early hard-hit doubles, it appeared the Diamondbacks might have finally cracked the mystery of Jason Schmidt.
But those hits would be half of Arizona's total output against San Francisco's ace as Schmidt befuddled the D-Backs lineup once again to defeat Arizona, 6-3, at Bank One Ballpark on Friday.
Schmidt is 3-0 against the Diamondbacks, who have lost all five times they've faced the righty this year.
"You always think you're going to beat somebody, always think that even if he's had success against you, that this is the time you're going to turn it around on him," said Arizona manager Bob Melvin. "He's been making adjustments against us every time out."
Shawn Green led off the second with an opposite-field double and scored two batters later on a loud double by Troy Glaus, who put the Diamondbacks up, 1-0, with his 600th career RBI. But it would also mark Arizona's last hit until Green doubled again in the seventh inning.
Brandon Webb did his best to match Schmidt (12-6) in the early innings, retiring 10 straight after giving up a single to lead off the game. But Ray Durham inflicted the first bit of damage in the fourth, knocking a two-out single off Webb's knee to tie the score.
In his next at-bat, Durham caused Webb (11-11) even more pain -- this time more on the scoreboard than on the pitcher's body. With two on and one out, Durham golfed a 1-1 delivery from Webb down the right-field line for a three-run homer to stake Schmidt to a comfortable lead.
"Ray, he was trouble for me last year and I hadn't had that much trouble this year," Webb said. "Today he was all over pretty much everything I was throwing up there, so he was a tough out tonight."
The Giants opened the lead to 6-1 in the next inning on a two-run double by Omar Vizquel, which put the game out of reach even after the Diamondbacks got to a tiring Schmidt in the bottom of the frame.
"It's usually an indication early on when he's getting ground balls and first-pitch outs, and getting outs the first few pitches, and he was throwing the ball real well. It seemed like Durham's homer [obviously] turned the tide," Melvin said.
Before Alex Cintron delivered a pinch-hit double to score two runs in the seventh, Schmidt had been virtually unhittable, retiring the side in the third through sixth innings.
But Schmidt didn't give the Diamondbacks the expected regimen of hard fastballs, instead turning to his curveball as his put-away pitch.
Schmidt hasn't been able to get as much on his heater as he used to, so he's been forced to change his approach. Earlier in the season, he baffled the Diamondbacks with a changeup, this time it was the curve. And this time, Schmidt not only held Arizona to four hits, he also recorded 10 strikeouts.
"He's a smart pitcher, so early in the count he'd come at you with fastballs and changeups, and then his put-away pitch today was the curveball," said Luis Gonzalez, who was 0-for-3 with two strikeouts against Schmidt. "He's not the Jason Schmidt of old with 94 to 97 [mph fastballs] that [he can blow] by you, so he's got to mix up his pitches and he did that today."
Despite the promising beginning with an early rally and Webb cruising through the first five innings, the Diamondbacks dropped their third straight. The loss also allowed San Francisco to leapfrog Arizona for third place in the National League West.
"You're not going to win many games when they get a couple innings where they have crooked numbers and you only have two hits going into the seventh," Melvin said.
Source: http://arizona.diamondbacks.mlb.com/
But those hits would be half of Arizona's total output against San Francisco's ace as Schmidt befuddled the D-Backs lineup once again to defeat Arizona, 6-3, at Bank One Ballpark on Friday.
Schmidt is 3-0 against the Diamondbacks, who have lost all five times they've faced the righty this year.
"You always think you're going to beat somebody, always think that even if he's had success against you, that this is the time you're going to turn it around on him," said Arizona manager Bob Melvin. "He's been making adjustments against us every time out."
Shawn Green led off the second with an opposite-field double and scored two batters later on a loud double by Troy Glaus, who put the Diamondbacks up, 1-0, with his 600th career RBI. But it would also mark Arizona's last hit until Green doubled again in the seventh inning.
Brandon Webb did his best to match Schmidt (12-6) in the early innings, retiring 10 straight after giving up a single to lead off the game. But Ray Durham inflicted the first bit of damage in the fourth, knocking a two-out single off Webb's knee to tie the score.
In his next at-bat, Durham caused Webb (11-11) even more pain -- this time more on the scoreboard than on the pitcher's body. With two on and one out, Durham golfed a 1-1 delivery from Webb down the right-field line for a three-run homer to stake Schmidt to a comfortable lead.
"Ray, he was trouble for me last year and I hadn't had that much trouble this year," Webb said. "Today he was all over pretty much everything I was throwing up there, so he was a tough out tonight."
The Giants opened the lead to 6-1 in the next inning on a two-run double by Omar Vizquel, which put the game out of reach even after the Diamondbacks got to a tiring Schmidt in the bottom of the frame.
"It's usually an indication early on when he's getting ground balls and first-pitch outs, and getting outs the first few pitches, and he was throwing the ball real well. It seemed like Durham's homer [obviously] turned the tide," Melvin said.
Before Alex Cintron delivered a pinch-hit double to score two runs in the seventh, Schmidt had been virtually unhittable, retiring the side in the third through sixth innings.
But Schmidt didn't give the Diamondbacks the expected regimen of hard fastballs, instead turning to his curveball as his put-away pitch.
Schmidt hasn't been able to get as much on his heater as he used to, so he's been forced to change his approach. Earlier in the season, he baffled the Diamondbacks with a changeup, this time it was the curve. And this time, Schmidt not only held Arizona to four hits, he also recorded 10 strikeouts.
"He's a smart pitcher, so early in the count he'd come at you with fastballs and changeups, and then his put-away pitch today was the curveball," said Luis Gonzalez, who was 0-for-3 with two strikeouts against Schmidt. "He's not the Jason Schmidt of old with 94 to 97 [mph fastballs] that [he can blow] by you, so he's got to mix up his pitches and he did that today."
Despite the promising beginning with an early rally and Webb cruising through the first five innings, the Diamondbacks dropped their third straight. The loss also allowed San Francisco to leapfrog Arizona for third place in the National League West.
"You're not going to win many games when they get a couple innings where they have crooked numbers and you only have two hits going into the seventh," Melvin said.
Source: http://arizona.diamondbacks.mlb.com/
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