Starting on seven days’ rest, Rich Hill issued a career-worst seven walks and failed to make it out of the fifth inning. Conversely, Mike Leake went eight strong innings in the St. Louis Cardinals’ 6-1 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Hill was squeezed a tight strike zone, which led to some verbal sparring with home-plate umpire Rob Drake. Though the 37-year-old hardly had his best command.
Hill’s night did begin on a positive note, though it was aided by Chris Taylor. In his first career start in center field, Taylor was immediately tested by a Dexter Fowler drive to the wall.