Free Live Odds - Scores and Odds - Sports News - Sports Information - Live Scores - Sports Statistics - Sports Articles - Sports Standings - Live Scoreboard - Live Odds - Sporting Events - Live Lines

(Sports Network) - It's a near certainty that Arizona Diamondbacks ace Brandon Webb will be part of the National League squad for next month's All-Star Game. Oakland Athletics hurler Justin Duchscherer is building himself a strong case to represent the American League as well.

Those two talented pitchers will go head-to-head when the Diamondbacks and A's start up a three-game interleague series tonight at Chase Field.

Webb, the 2006 NL Cy Young Award winner, enters this evening's tilt atop the majors with 11 victories to go along with a 2.73 earned run average through his first 14 starts of the season. The sinker specialist has been especially good at home, where Webb has won all six of his 2008 outings and posted a 2.78 ERA over 45 1/3 innings.

The 29-year-old is coming off a so-so performance in New York this past Wednesday, however. Webb worked just five innings against the Mets and was touched for three runs on five hits while not factoring in the decision of Arizona's 5-3 loss.

Prior to that start, Webb recorded back-to-back wins over Washington and Pittsburgh in which he yielded just one run over a combined 16 innings.

Webb's lone career start against Oakland was a successful one, as the standout righty spun a complete-game four-hitter in a 3-1 Diamondbacks' victory at McAfee Coliseum on July 2, 2006.

Duchscherer, who had worked exclusively as a reliever for the Athletics over the past four seasons, has been a most pleasant surprise after making the switch to a starting role. The right-hander has amassed an excellent 2.20 ERA through his 10 appearances, a figure that would lead the AL if he had enough innings to qualify.

The 30-year-old, who was sidelined three weeks in April due to a strained biceps, has been doing his best work lately. Over his last four starts, Duchscherer has compiled a 3-1 record with a 1.63 ERA and allowed two runs or less in each of those games.

Duchscherer is 1-4 in five road starts this season, but the Athletics have mustered three runs or fewer in all but one of his away appearances.

He has faced the Diamondbacks only one time previously, a one-inning relief stint in 2006 in which he gave up one run on two hits.

Oakland began this current six-game road trip in fine fashion, having taken all three meetings with the Bay Area-rival San Francisco Giants over the weekend. The A's outscored the Giants by a 14-4 margin and completed the sweep with Sunday's 5-3 triumph at AT&T Park.

Eric Chavez went 3-for-4 with two RBI and Dana Eveland threw 6 2/3 strong innings for Oakland, which trails the first-place Angels by three games in the AL West standings.

Eveland (5-5) held San Francisco to one run on six hits and struck out five on the afternoon. Huston Street preserved the lead by tossing a scoreless ninth to notch his 13th save of the year.

Arizona presently owns a comfortable 5 1/2-game advantage on the Dodgers for the top spot in the NL West, but the struggling Snakes have lost eight of their last 13 games. The Diamondbacks enter tonight's test on a two-game slide, with both defeats having come at home to the lowly Kansas City Royals.

Kansas City earned the series win with Sunday's 8-3 decision that was highlighted by David DeJesus' grand slam in the fourth inning.

Diamondbacks starter Micah Owings (6-5) served up DeJesus' blast and was rocked for seven runs on eight hits in 5 1/3 innings.

Arizona swept a three-game series from the A's when these clubs last met back in Oakland during the 2006 campaign. However, the Athletics took all three matchups between the teams at Chase Field from June 6-8, 2001 and are 5-1 over their last six games in Arizona.