Photo: Paul Connors/AP

The Skinny: For the second straight start, Diamondbacks’ right-hander Brandon Webb was denied his 20th victory. The Los Angeles Dodgers hit Webb early and often, chasing him after just 3.1 innings in an 8-1 cakewalk Sunday at Chase Field. Phoenix native and former ASU star Andre Ethier started the hit parade, taking Webb deep in the first, followed by a long 3-run shot to center field by Casey Blake. At that point the Dodgers were just getting started. Blake DeWitt made it 5-0 in the 3rd with a run scoring sac fly. In the 4th, Ethier inflicted more damage, doubling in Russell Martin, and the Dodgers tacked on two more runs on an error by third baseman Mark Reynolds to go up 8-0. It was as ugly as it sounds.

More on Webb: In his last two starts, Webb has gone only 8 innings combined, allowed 17 hits, 12 earned runs and walked 6. He’s 0-2 in that stretch with a 13.50 ERA. His 5 walks on Sunday tied a career-high. He last walked 5 in a game on June 17th, in a 15-1 loss to Oakland.

Bright spot?: I’m grasping at straws here, but I guess you’d have to call the bullpen performance on Sunday a bright spot. Newly acquired lefty Wil Ledezma teamed with Max Scherzer and Chad Qualls on 5 and 2/3 scoreless innings. Ledezma, who was making his Diamondback debut, was effectively wild, allowing 2 hits and walking 2 in 2 2/3 innings of work.

Player of the Game: You can split this award in two, giving half each to Ethier and Dodgers’ starter Derek Lowe. Ethier went 2 for 5 with a homer, driving in 2 and scoring 2. Ethier enjoys playing against his hometown team, he’s hitting .331 in his career against the Diamondbacks. Lowe, who has struggled traditionally against the Diamondbacks, was ridiculously efficient on Sunday. Lowe hurled 6 scoreless innings, allowed only 4 hits and threw only 79 pitches in the process. He evened his record to 11-11.

Repercussions: The Dodgers, who came into the series at Chase Field having lost 7 in a row, took the last 2 games of the series, and find themselves just 2.5 games out of first place in the National League West. Elsewhere, Colorado squandered another chance to pick up ground on the Diamondbacks as they lost to San Diego 2-1. The Rockies remain 6 games back.

MLB.com : Recap | Boxscore

Here’s what others are saying about the Dodgers’ closing the gap in the National League West…

• Dodgers rout D-Backs to end series [AZ Central]
• Webb no help, D-Backs fall to Dodgers, 8-1 [East Valley Trib]
• Dodgers get a big win, suffer a big loss [L.A. Times]
• Dodgers beat D-Backs 8-1 [L.A. Daily News]

So the Dodgers leave town, and the Diamondbacks finally get their first look at the St. Louis Cardinals in 2008 starting Monday at Chase Field. Randy Johnson tries for win 295 (again) and the Cards will throw right hander Joel Pineiro against him. First pitch is at 1:10 for the Labor Day game.