Rich Hill dealt on Wednesday night like he's never dealt before - okay, maybe once before. The Los Angeles Dodgers had it going on, retiring the first 15 batters of the game on just 55 pitches. Just like for thousands of pitchers before him, sustaining that torrid pace over the course of an entire night wasn't meant to be. At least this time around, he had the opportunity to see his effort to its definitive conclusion, before things got really weird.
Hill is perfect
It seemed like history wasn't in the cards as early as the bottom of the second inning.
Josh Bell appeared to club an infield single for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Upon further review, however, it was determined that it was not the case. After that, Hill began rolling uncontrollably towards destiny. It wasn't taking him very many pitches to get through innings as he mowed down Pirates hitters. Meanwhile, Dodgers hitters were getting on base, but not making it all the way to home plate - that would come back to matter later.
Eventually, the eighth inning came and Hill was still perfect. The Pirates almost had a single, but Chase Utley made an impressive diving grab - the type always associated with perfect games and no-hitters - to keep the feat intact. It finally fell apart in the ninth inning, when Dodgers third baseman Logan Forsythe committed an error.
Still, Hill was able to end the threat, meaning he still had a no-hitter (and a relatively low pitch count) after nine innings, with both teams still showing zeroes in the run column.
Hill's night falls apart
Hill came out for the tenth inning, looking to make history with an extra-inning perfect game. Pirates second baseman Josh Harrison had other plans.
He smacked a ball that barely cleared the left field fence, but it was enough due to the Dodgers' lack of run support. The no-hitter, shutout, and victory all faded away in one poor pitch on a nearly perfect night for Hill.
This isn't the first time Hill has dabbled with perfection. Less than a year ago, the pitcher threw seven perfect innings against the Miami Marlins.
The pitcher - who has a known history with blisters - was then shockingly pulled from the game by manager Dave Roberts, who aimed to protect him from himself. The bullpen proceeded to give up a hit and blow it for their pitcher. This time, the Dodgers let him go for it and once again, his teammates let him down before he ultimately succumbed to one unfortunate pitch.
