updated 12:31 a.m. ET Aug. 22, 2008

PHOENIX - It was a career night all around for Brandon Webb — the most victories he’s ever racked up in a season, plus the hardest shot he’s ever absorbed in the majors.

Webb pitched seven shutout innings for his career-high and major league-leading 19th victory Thursday night in the Arizona Diamondbacks’ 4-1 win over the San Diego Padres.

He was also hit by a sharp comebacker from Kevin Kouzmanoff in the sixth. The ball ricocheted off Webb’s chest but he picked it up and flipped it to Tony Clark to end the inning.

“This is the worst one, for sure,” Webb said, describing the discomfort. “It got me pretty square, then I had to go toward first base but I had to get the out. As bad as it hurt, I just went after it and was able to make the play.”

Arizona manager Bob Melvin said there was no cause for concern, not after trainers found no injury and Webb (19-4) joked about the shot in the dugout. Later, he showed it off for teammates in the postgame celebration.

“When we came inside, I said, ’I’m going to take my shirt off and give everybody high-fives,”’ Webb said. “That was a good show.”

A marvelous show, actually.

It was the sixth straight winning start for Webb, giving him eight wins in his last 11 starts. He allowed three hits with eight strikeouts, both tying season bests, as the Diamondbacks completed a three-game sweep.

“I’ve got a lot of confidence, especially with the guys hitting out there and playing defense behind me the way they are,” Webb said. “I’ve been able to get down in the zone, low, and get a lot of ground balls and strikeouts.”

Afterward, much of the talk focused on how Webb seemed as solid as during his 9-0 run to open the season.

“The sinker had great action. The changeup was really good tonight,” Padres manager Bud Black said. “It just has such action down below the hitting area. Out of the hand it looks like a good pitch to hit and you have to commit.”

Arizona won for the eighth time in the last 10 games and maintained a two-game lead over Los Angeles in the NL West. The Diamondbacks improved to 34-16 against division opponents.

Clark hit a sacrifice fly in the second inning and Connor Jackson had a two-run double in the fifth, both off Chad Reineke (1-1).

Jackson hit a liner over Kouzmanoff’s outstretched glove at third base that rolled into the left field corner, scoring Augie Ojeda and Chris Young, who both singled, to make it 3-0. Chris Snyder added an RBI single in the eighth for Arizona.

Brandon Lyon pitched the ninth allowing Edgar Gonzalez’s two-out RBI single.

“It put a little length between us and L.A.,” Jackson said. “Now’s the time of year we start looking, when we start following other teams and looking at the scoreboard. We need to take care of business.”

Webb, who hasn’t lost since a 5-3 decision at Minnesota on June 22, walked three. His previous career best record was 18-10, set last season.

“It was a good win,” Webb said. “Pretty much from here on out it’s just so close. We’re trying to win every game for the team. If I clean up on decisions, great, but I’m just trying to go out and get deep into the game, give us a chance to win.”

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