The Dodgers’ Rich Hill was six outs away from throwing a flawless game against the Marlins on Saturday, but manager Dave Roberts made the hard decision to pull him after only 89 pitches.
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Los Angeles began Saturday with a four-game NL West lead and ensured second-place San Francisco, which played at Arizona, could not gain ground.
Urena held the Dodgers to four singles while becoming the first Marlins starter to have an 8 2/3 inning start since Josh Johnson on August 3, 2012. Hill finished six outs shy, stopped by his own manager, not the opposition.
The crowd of 20,188 booed when manager Don Mattingly came out to get him. “The movement was good”. “It was a pretty stress-free game for him”. The Dodgers eventually allowed two hits after Hill’s departure. The 409-game drought is the longest in the major leagues.
Dave Roberts made the right call. “It doesn’t matter how well we’re swinging or what happened yesterday, he threw the ball well. He did his job”.
Pederson was still hot at the plate, hitting his second solo home run of the night in the top of the seventh inning to extend the Dodgers lead to 5-0. Justin Bour also drove in a run.
Royals 6, White Sox 5 • Whit Merrifield hit a go-ahead two-run double in a three-run seventh inning and Kansas City held on for a victory over host Chicago. Miami will open a three-game series at the Atlanta Braves on Monday.
“This is probably the worst I’ve felt after a win”, Roberts said.
Maeda (14-9) allowed three runs – two earned – on eight hits while striking out three and walking one over six innings.
“No, I didn’t notice it”, he said. The cheers were louder when Urena bounded to the dugout after turning in the best performance of his career and one of the best by a Marlins pitcher this season – including that other Jose.
The 6-foot-4 Seager made a leaping attempt but the ball glanced off his glove and into left field for a single. But Maeda was able to strand Christian Yelich, who was at third base with nobody out, and get out of the frame with no further damage.
Hill has only made three starts for the Dodgers since being acquired by the team.
NOTES: Dodgers OF Andre Ethier, who fractured his right leg in March, was activated.
The Marlins have not had a pitcher toss a shutout since Henderson Alvarez accomplished the feat against Tampa Bay on June 3, 2014.
In Oakland, Ketel Marte hit a tiebreaking single in the ninth inning to help Seattle to its fifth straight win.
Marlins: RHP David Phelps (left oblique strain) was reinstated from the 15-day disabled list. “My image of him hasn’t changed since we last met”, said Ichiro, who went 0-for-3 against Maeda in their previous meeting in April. The Marlins have not announced the plan for Phelps down the stretch.
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A day after Rich Hill’s ideal game that was not, more clarity was provided on the controversy inside the controversy.
