Dodgers’ Hill pulled after perfect first seven innings

Lefty throws 89 pitches and strikes out nine

MIAMI — Rich Hill’s lingering blister made Dave Roberts sick on Saturday night.

Roberts made the tough decision to pull Hill after seven perfect innings in the Los Angeles Dodgers’ 5-0 victory over the Miami Marlins.

Hill (12-3) had thrown 89 pitches and struck out nine when Roberts replaced the 35-yearold left-hander with Joe Blanton at the start of the eighth.

“I feel sick to my stomach,” said Roberts, trying to lead Los Angeles to the NL West title in his first year as Dodgers manager. “Rich had an opportunity of a lifetime. You take the personal aside. As a manager you are taking a lot of information.

“We have been dealing with Richie’s blister and that caused him to miss a lot of time this season.”

Hill didn’t pitch in the majors between May 29 and July 2 because of a strained left groin and between July 17 and Aug. 24 because of a blister on the middle finger of his pitching hand. He has pitched 19 scoreless innings since joining the Dodgers after an Aug. 1 trade with Oakland.

Hill felt he could have continued pitching.

“Obviously, I didn’t want to come out of the game,” Hill said. “But I think there is a bigger picture here and we all know what it is. Dave was in a very difficult position. You look at it and move on. That’s all you can do.”

Blanton struck out Christian Yelich and retired Marcell Ozuna a groundout before Jeff Francoeur singled to left. Grant Dayton gave up Dee Gordon’s two-out infield hit in the ninth that put two on and Kenley Jansen retired Martin Prado on a groundout to complete the two-hitter.

“In 11 years in the big leagues I’ve never had a no-hitter against my team,” Francoeur said. “I was praying to God this wasn’t the first time tonight. Luckily, we were able to come through with two hits.”

Hill has just three complete games in 91 big league starts over 12 seasons. On April 8, Roberts removed Ross Stripling with a no-hit bid after 7 1/3 innings and 100 pitches in a game the Dodgers lost to San Francisco 3-2 in 10 innings.

“To go 89 pitches, weighing the risks versus the opportunity and talking to the training staff and getting their advice and weighing it all up and what is right for Rich and the Dodgers, this is the decision I made,” Roberts said.

Los Angeles maintained its four-game lead in the division over second-place San Francisco, which won 11-3 at Arizona. There has never been a combined perfect game.

“This is probably the worst I’ve felt after a win,” Roberts said.

Dodgers left fielder Yasiel Puig, brought back from the minors on Sept. 2, made an outstanding diving catch for the final out of the seventh.

Joc Pederson made a sliding and diving catch on a drive to center by Ozuna in the second.

Pederson connected in the fifth and seventh innings, and Corey Seager and Justin Turner hit consecutive homers in the sixth, with Seager connecting for a two-run drive.

Pederson’s first homer of the night went into the upper deck in right field.

WILFREDO LEE/THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Dodgers starter Rich Hill delivers a pitch during the fourth inning against the Marlins on Saturday in Miami. Hill pitched seven perfect innings but was removed from the game after 89 pitches in Los Angeles’ 5-0 win.