While Rich Hill was working on a perfect game the Los Angeles Dodgers were unable to push across so much as a single run. Logan Forsythe’s error ended one of Hill’s bids for history, and Josh Harrison’s home run in the 10th inning broke up a no-hitter and gave the Pittsburgh Pirates a dramatic walk-off win.
One batter into the bottom of the first on Tuesday night, Hill was neither perfect or with a no-hitter. David Peralta’s leadoff single marked the start of a five-run inning for the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Hill struck out three but surrendered six hits, with half going for extra bases. He only completed 3.2 innings and allowed a total of six runs on eight hits.
Just as he did following the tough loss to the Pirates, the veteran starter again put the blame on his shoulders, via Bill Plunkett of the Southern California News Group:
“Just a bad night. I was terrible tonight,” Hill said, dismissing a first-inning shot to the leg as any kind of factor. “Everybody did what they were supposed to do. We hit the ball. We played good defense. And I was terrible.”
The Dodgers scored in the second and third innings to pull to within a run of the Diamondbacks, who responded with one run each in the fourth and fifth innings. The Dodgers pushed a run across in the eighth and one in the ninth inning before their rally against Fernando Rodney fell short.
A.J. Pollock’s two-run homer was the first non-solo home run Hill has allowed this season. He nonetheless has been stung by the long ball of late, allowing at least one homer in six consecutive starts. He’s given a minimum of one home run in 14 of his 20 starts this season and 15 overall.
The southpaw has otherwise pitched well since his first outing in July. Since that point, Hill is 5-2 with a 3.05 ERA in 10 starts. He was particularly dominant last month, going 4-0 with a 1.85 ERA in five starts, earning National League Pitcher of the Month honors for July.
