Ted Lilly pitched six scoreless innings for his third win in as many starts since joining the Dodgers, leading them to a 2-1 win over the Braves in the second game of the four-game series. The Dodgers tonight had 12 hits, and all of them were singles. It was the 30th time since moving to Los Angeles that the Dodgers have had as many as 12 hits with nary an extra-base knock among them. They also had 12 hits, all singles, against the Brewers earlier this season, on May 5.
Lilly allowed three hits in his six innings of work while striking out four. Through three innings tonight, he didn't walk anyone, which prompted me to tweet this:
No pitcher has ever began his LA Dodger career with 3 starts of zero walks. Ted Lilly is in start #3 with 0 BB so far
Now soon as I said it, seems I got sweated: Lilly let Alex Gonzalez ride with a free pass with one in the fourth. For those that are wondering, Lilly is one of five pitchers to begin their LA Dodger career with two starts with no walks, joining Bob Welch, Dennis Powell, Terry Adams, and Odalis Perez.
The Dodgers got 10 hits off Derek Lowe in his six innings of work, but only managed one run. It was the 26th time in Lowe's career he has allowed double digit safeties, and his teams are now 5-21 in those games. He has lost 10 straight such games, with his last win coming while with the Dodgers on September 27, 2006.
Scott Podsednik extended his hitting streak to 11 games with three singles tonight. On the current road trip, he has had multiple hits in all five games, and has 12 hits in 23 at-bats on the trip. He scored the second run of the game, in the top of the seventh inning, on a sacrifice fly by Andre Ethier.
Kenley Jansen walked Matt Diaz to open the seventh inning, and one out later allowed a double to Melky Cabrera, just the second extra-base hit allowed in his young career. George Sherrill was brought in to face left-handed pinch hitter Eric Hinske, but Bobby Cox countered with the right-handed David Ross. Sherrill, who had allowed right-handers to hit .444/.520/.714 this season entering tonight, induced a ground ball out, which scored a run, the first charged to Jansen in his 7 2/3 innings.
Octavio Dotel entered the game to face Omar Infante, and struck him out looking to end the threat, then proceeded to pitch a perfect eighth, which included a strikeout of Jason Heyward as well. Hong-Chih Kuo pitched the ninth inning for his fourth save of the season, recording two strikeouts along the way.
Vicente Padilla faces Jair Jurrjens tomorrow morning in the third, but not final, game of the series.
Bill Shaikin of the LA Times reported that the Dodgers have been paying themselves $14 million annually to "rent" Dodger Stadium from themselves, a much higher figure than the norm in MLB.
WP - Ted Lilly (6-8): 6 IP, 3 hits, 2 walks, 4 strikeouts
LP - Derek Lowe (11-10): 6 IP, 10 hits, 1 run, 1 walk, 4 strikeouts
Sv - Hong-Chih Kuo (4): 1 IP, 2 strikeouts