Dodgers top Giants with Hill on mound
LOS ANGELES — Dodgers manager Dave Roberts felt it was a perfect time to get Rich Hill out of the game.
No reason to push anyone these days. Hill pitched two-hit ball into the sixth inning, helping the Dodgers beat the Giants 2-1 Saturday for their seventh consecutive victory.
Corey Seager had three hits and Cody Bellinger drove in two runs as major leagueleading Los Angeles won for the 38th time in 44 games. At 73-31, the Dodgers are 42 games over .500 for the first time since finishing 102-60 in 1974.
“I think that's what you see from this team every single day,” Hill said. “Guys are getting their work in, they're staying true to the process to what they need to do to get better every single time they come to the field.”
Hill (8-4) struck out three and walked two in 5 2/3 innings. The oft-injured left-hander improved to 4-0 with a 1.45 ERA in five July starts.
Hunter Pence homered in the fourth and Gorkys Hernandez doubled in the fifth for San Francisco's only hits against Hill. With Pence coming to the plate in the sixth, Roberts decided to bring in Pedro Baez.
“Where we're at right now, every game is different, but I think for the next month and a half me, (pitching coach) Rick (Honeycutt) are aware of the pitchers, their usage, and trying to make sure guys are fresh,” Roberts said. “Right now, it doesn't make a whole lot of sense to push these guys.”
Hill threw 86 pitches after totaling at least 92 in each of his previous nine starts. But he said he understood the move. “There's a lot of season left,” Hill said. Kenley Jansen worked the ninth for his 26th save in 27 opportunities, striking out Jae-Gyun Hwang with runners on first and second for the final out. The closer also allowed a leadoff single to Miguel Gomez, but he was promptly erased when Pence bounced into a double play.
Seager doubled in the first and third innings, scoring each time on a Bellinger single. Seager also singled in the fifth for his 29th multihit game this season.
Bellinger made his major league debut on April 25, but he leads the Dodgers with 69 RBIs. He has driven in two or more runs in 18 games.
“They feed off one another,” Roberts said of Seager and Bellinger. “You're looking at two guys who can hurt you, do damage with slugging. They're both very good hitters.”
Giants starter Ty Blach (6-7) allowed eight hits in seven innings while falling to 2-5 in nine starts since June 7.
“Blach did a great job, gave us a chance,” Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. “I really didn't think he had his best stuff but this kid's got all the confidence, he's not afraid.”