The last time Rich Hill completed seven innings, he had a perfect game in the works. Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts pulled the plug on Hill’s pursuit of history, citing the bigger picture.
On Monday, Hill was removed after seven innings and with a 3-0 deficit. The outing was his longest of the season. Hill hadn’t so much as reached in the sixth inning in any of his nine previous starts.
“I definitely felt way more like myself than any game that I’ve pitched the entire year so far,” Hill said. “The velocity was maintained throughout the game, breaking ball was much sharper, and the cutter was very good.