Lilly mesmerizes opponents again, Dodgers knock the Rockies out
Ted Lilly is beginning to shine as a revelation for the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League as he took out Colorado Rockies with just two hits allowed on Friday. It almost feels like the veteran is a new pitcher and this comes as a surprise to many. The fabled All Star player has had a tremendous career to back his athleticism. However, what surely comes as a surprise is the ball thrower’s ability to contain runs and hits against opponents with his new ball club.
The Colorado side came into the game on Thursday, looking for the much needed win. Most critics considered the series between the two as a fight or a contention for the 3rd place on the National League’s Western Division Table. And that came as no surprise to the management to produce a result that would keep the team’s ambitions up on the silver lining. The Rockies had won their previous fixture against the Dodgers and they were looking to keep things that way when they brought in left arm pitcher Jorge Alberto De La Rosa for the encounter.
La Rosa had 4 wins and 3 losses to his name before the bout began. Carrying an Earning Runs Average (ERA) below 4.75 was an understanding that was believed to strip the Los Angeles hitting faction off their free will. However, that never happened as Ted Lily stole the limelight quite easily from the Rockies’ strike zone banger.
Los Angeles was trying their best to get a decent standing in the table. After having a terrible start in the beginning of the season, Manager Joe Torre was looking for the opportunity to go up against the top two in the Division. Much to his advantage, Ryan Theriot and Ted Lily were available now after the transfer window passed and now, this was what the Strategist required, in order to boost his team.
Much to the delight of the fans, Ted Lilly featured in the game. Another strongly followed encounter, the Dodgers were required to rebound from their recent bad form. Lilly brought in surmountable experience from various ball clubs and national team encounters. It was to no one’s surprise that the 34-year-old would be a force to be reckoned with in the encounter.
Colorado began the match with the bat in hand. To the surprise of everyone, the team only managed to hit twice in the night. The Dodgers, on the other hand, scored a total of 2 runs. That came in the form of just one hit and was recorded in the bottom 2nd when Reed Johnson smashed La Rosa for a 2-run 413 feet homer, down the left centre. Casey Blake also scored from the hit as the second baseman had already been on the first base before Johnson cued his shot for the stands. Those were the only two runs to come up for the Dodgers in the entire night as pitchers from both sides contained the hitters who performed astoundingly as a result.
Even though Jorge de La Rosa was banged for a homer in the 2nd inning, he continued to pitch strongly. In doing so he contained the batters well, as the player threw the ball 104 times in his 7 innings of play. He managed to strike out 3 while he allowed 5 hits, 2 runs off a homer and 4 walks in the night. In the end, he walked away with an ERA of 4.74.
Ted Lily, on the other hand, was phenomenal as he claimed a season high 11 strikeouts, while walking 2 and retiring 19 consecutive batters in the game. In retrospect, this was his third career shutout. The maestro played the entire game from start to finish, pitching a total of 110 throws. While the veteran walked off with a 3.23 ERA, his ERA since joining the Dodgers has been 1.29, playing in 4 consecutive winning starts.
For someone like Ted, this is an amazing accomplishment already. The pitcher is looking at things with a new perspective and this must go to many managers out there in the National League as a caution when they’re going against the ace man in the match. With the Dodgers, Lilly isn’t just a star but an unofficial leader who can take the team to newer heights in Major League Baseball.
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