An Emotional Webb Defeats the Padres

This one, Brandon Webb said, was for “Hook.”

Pitching one day after the death of close friend Jon Hooker in a Kentucky plane crash, Webb scattered six hits over 7 1/3 innings and helped the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the San Diego Padres, 7-4, Monday night.

Hooker, Webb’s roommate and teammate at the University of Kentucky, was among 49 people killed in the crash of commuter jet in Lexington on Sunday. Hooker was married the previous night to Scarlett Parsley, also killed in the crash.

“I’m sure people do it all the time when tragedy happens like that, you try to do it for them, for the person,” Webb said. “I think that’s what kind of motivated me and got me through it.”

Webb said he never thought about skipping the start.

“I always knew I’d pitch. I had no doubt about it,” he said. “Knowing Hook, I’m sure he’d want me to do it, too.”

Right up until the time he took the mound, Webb said the crash was on his mind.

“As bad as the situation was,” he said, “for him to just be married a few hours beforehand makes it that much tougher.”

With the loss, the second-place Padres fell three games behind the Dodgers in the NL West while Arizona remained five back.

San Diego stayed a half-game behind the Reds in the wild-card race, with the Diamondbacks 2 1/2 out.

Webb gave up three runs, striking out three and walking four. With his sinking fastball, he induced 17 outs on grounders, getting three double plays.