The Los Angeles Dodgers completed a three-game sweep over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Independence Day, propelled by the offense manufacturing runs in addition to another solid performance from Rich Hill.
Hill earned his second win of the season, logging five innings pitched of two-run ball while compiling five strikeouts to just one walk. The southpaw was removed from his outing with neck tightness after throwing only 73 pitches in the contest, but is considered day-to-day as the injury isn’t believed to be serious.
The 38-year-old’s setback occurred on the base paths, when Hill slid head-first into home plate while attempting to score from third base on a fly ball hit to Pirates center fielder Starling Marte.
Despite the premature exit, Hill came away impressed with his start against the Pirates and is aiming for continued success with his two most utilized pitches, the fastball and curveball, per Kaelen Jones of MLB.com:
“Where we’re at to this point, the way the ball is coming out and the way both the fastball and curveball are really marrying each other [has gone] extremely well,” Hill said. “I think that’s something I look forward to keeping for the rest of the season.”
Hill looks rejuvenated since his activation off the disabled list in mid-June, having yielded two runs or less in three of his four outings during that span.
In those four starts, Hill has posted a 2.78 ERA in 22.2 innings pitched with 26 strikeouts to only four walks — noticeably showing much better command of his pitches when compared to earlier in the season.
The 38-year-old was previously sidelined for a month while nursing an aggravated blister, but the time off appears to have benefitted him, as he tinkered with his mechanics during the layoff and is now seeing those adjustments reflect in his results on the mound.
As part of our efforts to help you understand how we handle the personal information you share with us, and in preparation for the new European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), we’ve updated our Privacy & Cookies Policy. The updated Privacy & Cookies Policy will take effect on May 22, 2018. By using our services on or after that date, you’ll be agreeing to our updated Privacy & Cookies Policy. We recommend that you read our updated Privacy & Cookies Policy in full.
